Soft Spoken
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Ken, a neko, has been bullied most of his life since others discovered what he is. Now he's starting new in a different city & school, and quickly finds a friend in Daisuke. When he starts falling for his friend, however, problems arise, other than having a crush. Will these problems be solved? DaiKen, Lemons, Mpreg, mentions of Taito & Takari, A/U.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so this is the first time I have ever done a second pairing within a series. I've only ever mentioned other pairings in my fics, and never gone into any major depth with them. Like for example, I have never written a SoRiku fic, even though I write AkuRoku. Anyhoo, I kind of struggled with the idea of this fic, and I apologize if it's similar to Life Of A Lost Neko in too many ways. By the way, Ken, Daisuke, Miyako, Takeru, and Hikari are all sophomores in this fic, with the exception of Iori, who is a freshman, whereas Taichi, Yamato, and the other digidestined are seniors. All from Ken's POV. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 1

I sat in my bedroom, all alone, just listening to my parents out in the living room. My dark-furred ears twitched as I listened, realizing that I wouldn't be able to hide from my parents forever anymore. I sighed softly, the end of my tail flicking back and forth anxiously. Moving would mean starting new, a new beginning, and hopefully a new chance at having a good life.

My name is Ken Ichijouji, and I'm a neko. I'm the only one I know of, but that's not saying much, seeing as I have no friends. I've only ever spoken when I have to, and I normally just focus on my school work. I was bullied growing up for being such an outcast, and even the misfit kids at my school didn't like me. I didn't understand why; I never did anything wrong, so was there just a flashing neon sign above my head that screamed, 'DON'T BEFRIEND ME'? I sighed again, knowing that a new school might be good for me, or it could go terribly wrong. It just depends on if everyone there finds out I'm a neko, like in grade school. When I had let my ears and tail out that first day, I didn't know I would get picked on and teased and beaten up for being different. People are so cruel sometimes…

"Ken?" my mother's voice called through the door. "I know you heard us, dear. Would you mind coming out and we can talk some more over dinner once your father gets back?"

"Yeah," I answered back, and opened the door, allowing my mother to hug me.

"I'm sorry, Ken. We just want you to be happy, not feel so alone, and not be picked on so much," she explained, and I nodded.

"I understand," I mumbled, and then the front door opened, and my father walked in, carrying a few take-out bags.

"I went out and picked up some of your favorites, Ken," he told me with a smile. I gave a small smile in return, and he ruffled my hair and ears lightly. "That's my boy."

We sat down at the table and began to eat the take-out Dad had brought home, and as we ate, Mom and Dad talked to me about how they'd been considering moving for a while now, but finally decided to go for it. They even had a place in mind, and it was within a short walking distance of what would be my new school. Seeing as the school year had already started, it would be good for me to get used to living in the new house first, and then I could start school the following week. My parents told me how they'd already contacted the new school and informed them of my being a neko and everything, so they knew I wouldn't start for a couple of weeks. Once we finished eating and talking, they were perfectly fine with me going to my room, where I curled up in my bed to sleep. It was so much to take in for just one night, but somehow, something told me everything would be okay. Hard to believe, though.

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

We had already been unpacked and completely moved into our new home for the past week, and I was already starting my first day at the new school I would be attending. Nervously, I hugged my parents, waved to them in farewell, and then completely hid my ears in my hair and stilled my tail while it was hidden in my pants before leaving with my things. I had my messenger bag with my tablet, some notebooks for taking notes with, a few pencils, and some pens in it, plus my cell phone and house key in my pockets. As I walked to school, I couldn't help but feel scared. After all, I'd been picked on a lot for being quiet and different, but maybe things would be different here.

'_Don't get your hopes up, Ken,_' I thought to myself, sighing. I made my way to my first class, which was English. My parents had brought me to the school over the weekend so we could get a tour without a ton of students being around, so I had memorized my way around during that time. I made it to class okay, and I began to look for the teacher. I spotted her sitting at her desk, writing on some papers.

"Um, excuse me," I said quietly, and she looked up with a surprised look before smiling gently at me.

"Ah, you must be Ken Ichijouji, our new student, correct?" she guessed. I nodded shyly, and she waved me over. "It's nice to have you join us. My name is Aerith. We all go by first names here, so there's no need to call us Mr. or Ms. Go ahead and pick a seat wherever you'd like." Her warm smile was infectious, and I caught myself smiling back at her slightly before picking a seat near the back by the window. I pulled out my phone and put it on silent before people began to flow in, and quickly tucked it back in my pocket. Once the bell rang, Aerith began to speak when everyone had settled down.

"All right, class, we have a new student that has joined us today," she announced, and I got a chill down my spine as I prayed that she wouldn't make me stand up and introduce myself to the class. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side, and she said, "Go ahead and introduce yourself, sweetie." Terrified, I stood up, and spoke.

"My name is Ken Ichijouji, and I just moved here," I said softly, and Aerith noticed my discomfort.

"Thank you, Ken. You can sit down now," she smiled, and I quickly reseated myself. Aerith then proceeded with the day's lesson, and as she spoke, I jotted down the notes she wrote on the board in my green notebook, even highlighting the parts she emphasized. As I took my notes, I felt the other students' gazes on me. Some were perturbed, most were eager in a bad way, and the rest were curious. Finally, the bell rang, and I quickly began to leave, making my way to Math. As I tried to hurry to the safety of the classroom, I was suddenly grabbed and slammed against the wall, and I yelped in pain as the back of my head smacked against it.

"So, you think you can just walk in here and think you're hot shit for trying to be a goody-two-shoes, huh, freak?" a guy's voice sneered as he held me against the wall. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything, which seemed to piss the guy off more. "Not gonna speak, weirdo?" He raised a fist as if to punch me, and I flinched as he swung. When the blow didn't hit me, I peeked to see another guy holding back the bully's fist, a furious expression on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the guy defending me snarled. "Fucking moron!" He shoved him away, glaring heavily.

"Who're you calling a moron?!" the bully growled, swinging now at the boy who stopped him.

"You, duh!" he spat, and knocked him down with a punch. "Now leave him alone and stop picking on new kids for stupid reasons!" The bully glared at the other boy before getting to his feet and leaving, holding his bruised cheek. The boy who saved me turned to me, looking concerned as I trembled from what had just happened.

"Are you okay?" he asked, grasping my shoulders and looking me over. "Hey, just take some deep breaths, and it'll calm you down." I complied, inhaling deeply and exhaling a few times before looking up a bit at the guy. "You okay now? Wanna go to the office?"

"No, I'm okay," I assured him. "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

"Eh, no big deal. I'd do the same for anyone who was being bullied," he grinned. "My name's Daisuke Motomiya. What's your name?"

"Ken Ichijouji," I murmured shyly.

"Oh yeah, you're in English with me! Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention and kinda dozed off during class," he apologized, scratching the back of his head awkwardly, not even messing up his spiked, cinnamon-colored hair. "What's your next class?" he asked, and I showed him my schedule. His face brightened when he looked it over. "Hey, we're in all the same classes! That's awesome, now I don't have to worry about assholes messing with you, 'cause I'll be around to keep ya safe." My eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" I uttered, not understanding.

"Look, let's get to class first, okay? On the way, I'll explain," he offered. As we hurried to class, he elaborated. "First off, I want you to join me and my friends at our table during lunch today. And you can't refuse. Don't need you being alone," he smiled. "And second, I don't like bullying, especially when it's someone I know. Sure, I barely know you, but I'd hate to see you hurt because of stupid, judgmental assholes."

"Thank you…" I mumbled, and then the bell rang. Daisuke cursed, and then he pulled me into a run for class.

"Sorry, Ken, but we can't be late! The Math teacher is strict about late students!" he told me as we ran. We skidded to a stop in front of the classroom door and walked in. The teacher, a tall brunette man, gave a stern look before Daisuke began to try and apologize and explain.

"I'm really sorry, Leon, there was a jerk messing with Ken here, and he's a new student, so I intervened, and that's why we're late," he explained quickly. Leon's eyes widened slightly, and he nodded once.

"I understand, Daisuke. Ken, I apologize for that student. We have some idiots on the grounds, unfortunately," he told us. "But anyway, you're both excused from being tardy. Go ahead and take your seats." We quickly made our way to the back, and I pulled out a different notebook, this one with a red cover, and began to write what was already on the board as quickly as I could. I glanced over to see Daisuke struggling to keep up, so I wrote out a quick note letting him know I would let him copy my notes later and passed it to him. He flashed me a grateful smile as he continued to frantically write.

Finally, Leon assigned homework right before the bell rang, drawing a collective groan from the class. Leon merely rolled his eyes and told us it was due tomorrow. Daisuke and I got up after everyone else had left, and as we walked out the door, I thanked Leon for not writing us down as tardy.

"Don't worry about it, Ken. It happens," he smiled slightly at me, and waved at me to go to my next class. Daisuke led me to our third period class, History, where a brunette woman was sitting at her desk. I learned her name was Tifa, and she was very strict about her students paying attention. Finally, the bell rang, and it was Daisuke and my free period. He led me to the cafeteria, where we sat down side-by-side at the table nearest the corner, and grinned at me.

"So, what brings you to our high school?" he asked, his tone genuinely curious.

"We moved here to Odaiba from Tamachi," I told him. He tilted his head to the side curiously.

"Why's that?"

"My family and I needed a fresh start, that's all," I answered, not wanting to tell him anything about my neko features. He seemed to believe me, but not completely. Thankfully, he didn't push it.

"Well, I'm glad I met you, Ken," he smiled.

"Huh?"

"Well, first off, I'm relieved that you weren't hurt by that fucktard earlier, to start," he began. "And I'm glad because you'll get to meet my friends. They're great, and I know they'll like you."

"You mean that?" I questioned doubtfully.

"Of course! Trust me, they'll make you feel like you're family," he smiled reassuringly at me. We chatted for a little longer until the bell for lunch rang, and then Daisuke looked up expectantly, watching the doors to the cafeteria. After the crowd of students flooded in and headed to tables or the lunch line, the cinnamon-haired teen began to wave frantically to someone. I felt my ears flatten themselves further against my scalp, and the very tip of my tail twitched slightly in anxiety from the inside of my pants. Finally, four other teens began to approach the table we were at, and they gave me curious looks.

"Who's this, Daisuke?" a brunette girl with light brown eyes asked curiously.

"This is Ken Ichijouji, our new group member!" Daisuke said happily, and my blue eyes widened in surprise at being referred to as part of the group.

"How'd you meet him?" a blonde boy next to the brunette asked.

"He was about to get pummeled by a complete fucktard after English," Daisuke explained.

"That's terrible! Well, anyway, it's nice to meet you, Ken," the brunette smiled at me, and shook my hand with a gentle yet firm grip. "My name is Hikari Yagami. This is Takeru Takaishi, my boyfriend," she added, gesturing to the blonde.

"I'm Miyako Inoue!" a girl with light violet hair greeted enthusiastically, shaking hands with me. "And this is my neighbor at my apartment building, Iori Hida!" she added, gesturing to the shorter boy behind her.

"Hello," he greeted kindly.

"It's nice to meet you all," I told them softly, unable to look at them. I was feeling so awkward; why did I have to be here right now…?

"Hey, there's no need to feel shy," Hikari assured me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "We're all good friends here, and now you're part of our group." I raised my widened eyes to look at her, shocked that they were accepting me so easily.

"How come you're all accepting me so easily?" I mentally slapped myself; why do I open my big mouth? "Am I just a pity case or something?" The group around me seemed surprised by my question.

"Of course not!" Daisuke protested. His next words were softened, though. "We're all friends here, and we've known each other for a while. You don't seem like you deserve to be alone, especially in high school, so I wanted to help you. And besides, you're a nice guy! Even if you're shy." He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but smile a little bit back at him. "Does that help you feel better?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm sorry about my doubts… I've never had any friends before, that's all…"

"Why not? You're a nice guy!" the cinnamon-haired teen exclaimed. I immediately struggled to think of a quick lie that made sense.

"Everyone thought I was weird because I'm so quiet and shy," I mumbled. "I don't have any siblings, so I never really socialized when I was younger."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ken…" Hikari told me, her expression saddened.

"I kind of know how you feel, Ken," Iori nodded. "I'm the only one in our group besides you who has no siblings. It's just me, my mom, and my grandpa, seeing as my dad was killed in the line of duty as a police officer."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Iori," I murmured.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not jealous of the others or anything, so don't worry," he assured me. After a bit of quiet, I got curious about how many siblings the others have, and decided to inquire.

"We each have one sibling, except for Miyako. She has two older sisters and an older brother," Takeru explained. "And Hikari and I aren't the only ones dating. Our older brothers, Taichi and Yamato, are dating, too. Yamato's my brother, and Taichi is Hikari's."

"Funny thing is that my sister, Jun, used to idolize Yamato until he started dating Taichi a few years ago," Daisuke laughed. "Now she fantasizes about being with Taichi and Yamato's friend, Jyou's, older brother, Jim."

"Honestly, your sister changes her obsessions like she changes clothes, Daisuke," Miyako giggled.

"I have to agree with you on that one, Miyako," he snickered. I couldn't resist smiling at that, but I held back my laughter.

"I still remember when Yamato told me he was in love with Taichi," Takeru smiled lightly. "He had no idea how to tell him, and was terrified he'd be rejected."

"Let's not tell Ken everything, Takeru. After all, it's our brothers' story," Hikari chided gently.

"Sorry about that," the blonde apologized.

"Where are Taichi and Yamato, anyway?" Daisuke asked suddenly.

"And Sora?" Miyako chimed in.

"What about Koushiro?" Iori added.

"I'm here, but the others will be here shortly," a boy around my height with rust-colored hair said as he walked over. He noticed me, and looked at me curiously. "And who's this?"

"There's no point in repeating myself three or four times, so I'll explain when the others are here," Daisuke assured him.

"We're here now!" a redheaded girl called, walking over with a blonde with deep blue eyes and a wild-haired brunette with chocolate brown eyes that were holding hands. "Who's the newbie?"

"This is Ken Ichijouji, and I saved him from being beaten up by some asshole from class," Daisuke introduced me. Pointing to each of the older students in turn, he said, "Ken, this is Koushiro Izumi, Sora Takenouchi, Yamato Ishida, and Taichi Yagami."

"It's nice to meet you, Ken," Yamato said, shaking hands with me.

"And it's also good to know that Daisuke's temper still flares when he's protecting someone," Taichi chuckled, shaking my hand as well.

"Just like you when you're defending Yamato, Taichi," Sora giggled.

"Some things never change, but this time it was a good thing," Koushiro sighed while shaking his head with a small smile.

"So, Ken, what brings you to Odaiba High?" Yamato asked.

"My parents and I needed a new start, make some friends for myself," I explained as I glanced away. I felt his curious gaze on me, but he said nothing more on the subject as he and Taichi sat down across from Daisuke and me. Everyone began to pull out their lunches, and I pulled out my own small one, which consisted of just a ham and cheese sandwich and a soda. As I ate, listening to everyone chat around me, I felt Daisuke's eyes on me, his gaze worried.

"Is that all you packed for lunch?" he frowned, concerned.

"Yeah, I don't eat much," I replied quietly, not wanting to draw everyone's attention.

"Hang on; I've got some extra food I packed for later. Help yourself!" he grinned, digging through his lunch bag and pulling out an apple, some chips, and a Ziploc bag of what looked like home-baked cookies. "Don't worry, this isn't all of it, so you can have however much you want."

"You don't need to, Daisuke, I'm not really hungry…" I mumbled.

"Come on, you'll need the energy for gym class later," he urged. Sighing, I gave him a thankful smile as I accepted the chips from him. "And I'll share the cookies with ya, too. My mom makes amazing chocolate chip cookies!"

"Thank you, Daisuke," I murmured, and he grinned back.

"No problem," he nodded, and we continued eating our lunches in a comfortable silence. I began to feel awkward, however, when I noticed Koushiro's analyzing gaze on me. I flushed, embarrassed, and looked away, trying not to seem suspicious. Once the warning bell rang, however, and we'd all eaten, I was about to head to Psychology with Daisuke when Koushiro pulled me off to the side.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him to class, Daisuke," he assured the cinnamon-haired teen as he frowned. Daisuke nodded with a shrug, and then went to wait for me outside the cafeteria. Once Koushiro and I were in a private spot, he said, "You're a neko, aren't you?" I paled considerably, horrified that he'd figured it out. There was no point in trying to deny it, so I sighed and nodded.

"I am. How'd you know?" I muttered.

"Because Yamato's one as well, and he hides it the same way you do. That's why his hair looks messy," he smiled. "Don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone, and I'll play dumb if you decide to share. Sorry if I scared you, by the way. I just wanted to tell you that I know, and that we won't judge you should you tell us."

"Thank you, Koushiro," I told him gratefully, bowing slightly to him, and then quickly left to rejoin Daisuke.

"What was that about?" Daisuke asked as we rushed to class.

"Nothing important," I replied, making my new friend furrow his brows in confusion, but he let the subject drop. We walked into Psychology, where a stone-faced blonde with spiky hair and blue eyes was sitting at the desk off to the side in front of the class. He nodded to us in greeting, and then Daisuke led me to the back of the room, where we sat down next to each other by the window.

"Don't worry about Cloud, he's quiet, but he teaches in a way that makes sense to everyone. Just don't piss him off," the cinnamon-haired teen warned me. I nodded once in understanding, and then the bell rang as the rest of the class filed in. Cloud stood from his desk and shut the door, and then began the lesson on mental disorders and diseases. It sounded like it was a previously lectured on topic that he was continuing from, so I decided to ask if I could get the notes from him after class. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and I swiftly packed my things before approaching him.

"Cloud?" I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"Yes?" he replied as he erased the board.

"May name is Ken Ichijouji, and I just started today," I began. "It sounded like this was a previously discussed lecture, so I was hoping I could get the notes from the beginning of the lecture?" He blinked once at me, appearing slightly surprised, before digging out a copy of the notes.

"Here, this is everything from when we started," he told me, handing me the half inch thick packet with a smirk. "I can already tell you'll do well in this class, so don't study too hard." I nodded and smiled slightly, feeling less nervous about the blonde teacher. Once I had tucked the packet into my bag, I turned to Daisuke, who was watching me, surprised.

"What?" I frowned, confused.

"I'm just surprised you got Cloud to warm up to you so quickly," he chuckled, and the sound made my heart flutter in a strange way I couldn't decipher. I merely blushed slightly with embarrassment, and let him lead me to gym class. When we got there, I discovered that, although the class was mandatory, I was given special privileges so I wouldn't be discovered. The teacher, Zack, merely grinned at me and had me help him with setting up the equipment required for a flag football game.

"Awesome! I'll make sure my team wins for sure!" Daisuke cheered, pumping his fist excitedly as he joined his team. Zack handed me a dry erase board and a blue marker for it, as well as an eraser for it, and told me to keep score while he acted as referee. I nodded, accepting my task, but when I overheard a student ask why I wasn't playing, he told them that I have a medical condition that makes it difficult for me to keep up physically. I sighed internally in relief, grateful he had an excuse ready for anyone who asked about me. The raven-haired teacher blew the whistle, and then everyone began to play. I managed to keep up with the scoring, and by the end of class, Daisuke's team had the winning score of 13-8. Everyone took off their flagged belts and dropped them in the sacks Zack had set out for them when everyone was getting ready. Zack tossed the ball to me, and then I put it in the bin with the other soccer balls, basketballs, and volleyballs. While Daisuke was changing, I stood with my bag on my shoulder near Zack, just to make sure I wasn't snatched and beaten up or something.

"You were bullied before, weren't you?" the gym teacher guessed as I waited.

"Yes, for the medical reason you mentioned before," I chuckled dryly. He sighed, but placed a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it too much, Ken. All of the staff here at the school will be sure to protect you, and it already seems like Daisuke wants to protect you, too," Zack pointed out.

"You're right on that one. He already saved my skin once today," I told him.

"I heard about that. Dumbass went home early from that punch, whining about a possible concussion, according to Yuffie, which is bullshit," he laughed lightly, making me join in quietly. Finally, Daisuke emerged from the boys' locker room, dressed back in his normal clothes, and joined me.

"Well, our day is over now, seeing as our last two classes are free periods," he said. "Wanna come back with me to my house? I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind, and then I can copy those notes from class earlier."

"Um…let me just call my mom first and ask for permission," I answered, digging out my phone. I quickly dialed my home number, and then Mom picked up after a couple of rings.

"Ken? Hello, sweetie, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"No, nothing's wrong, I was just wondering if I could go over to a new friend's house. I'll be back for dinner," I told her.

"Oh, Ken, that's wonderful! It's perfectly fine, dear, just make sure to let me know if things get bad, and I'll come pick you up. Also, let me know if they invite you for dinner," she said, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. I sighed internally, knowing the tears were of happiness, not sadness.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll make sure to call if they do, and if anything comes up," I assured her.

"I love you, Ken. Take care, and I'll see you later, sweetie," she sniffled, and I told her I love her as well before hanging up.

"I'm allowed to," I told Daisuke, and he grinned.

"Awesome! Come on, let's go!" he crowed, and grabbed my wrist before dragging me into a run to his house. '_Let's see how this goes,_' I thought as we went.

A/N: I apologize if there's any conflictions or errors in this, I started this back in April and just finished it today. I'll work on handwriting some more and then type it up later. R&amp;R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: How will everything go down at Daisuke's house? Will everything go smoothly? Or will things fall apart? READ AND FIND OUT ALREADY! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 2

When we arrived at Daisuke's house, I was surprised to see his parents were home, but Daisuke wasn't fazed.

"Don't worry, my parents like my friends, so I know they'll like you, too," he assured me as we went up to the door. He opened the door and called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm home! And I brought a new friend!"

"We're in the den, Daisuke!" his mom's voice called out. We went into the den, which was downstairs, and saw his parents watching a movie on a large TV, which was paused.

"You're home early," his dad remarked as we walked in.

"I have 6th and 7th period free, remember?" Daisuke reminded him. "Anyway, I brought my new friend home so I can copy his notes for English and Math. This is Ken Ichijouji, and he has the exact same schedule as me, which is why he's off with me."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Motomiya," I greeted shyly, bowing slightly in respect.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Ken," Mrs. Motomiya smiled.

"Good to know Daisuke can get some help in school now," Mr. Motomiya chuckled. "You seem like you enjoy learning, which is good."

"I do," I admitted with a small blush.

"How about I make you boys something to snack on while you work on your homework and notes?" his mother offered.

"Thanks, Mom!" Daisuke grinned. "We'll be in my room!" He then led me to his room, which was surprisingly messy. I was shocked he didn't notice the bad odor coming from his laundry, either. "Sorry it's a mess, I never take the time to clean up," he apologized, scratching the back of his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Well, what if I helped you clean up?" I suggested, flushing when he blinked at me in surprise.

"What, now?" he asked, confused.

"Then I'll lend you my notes for the night for you to copy. If you can just return them to me tomorrow, then we can clean your room today," I explained. "Sorry, I just like cleanliness…"

"Don't worry about it, my room needs it. I can't say I blame you," he assured me with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Come on, let's get started!" We set our school bags by the desk, and then Daisuke left to grab some cleaning supplies from the hall closet while I peeled the blankets and sheets off the bed.

"How come you're digging through the cleaning supplies, Daisuke?" I heard his mom ask as he was in the hall.

"We're cleaning my room finally, and Ken offered to help," her son explained.

"Well, at least eat the popcorn I made before you start," she giggled. She came into the room with two small bowls of popcorn while Daisuke brought back some glass cleaner for his bedroom window, carpet deodorizer, wood cleaner and polisher for his desk, paper towels, two pairs of rubber gloves, some black yard bags for the garbage, and fabric deodorizer to spray on his bed. I thanked her as the cinnamon-haired teen grabbed the blankets and sheets and left to wash them in the washer, and I began to pick up the trash. When Daisuke returned, he set up his iPod on its docking station and started up some music so it wasn't so quiet. I recognized the song as 'Let's Kick It Up' by Paul Gordon.

"I hope you don't mind my music," he said, and I laughed a little.

"Actually, I have this song on my own iPod," I replied, grabbing a bowl of popcorn.

"Really? That's awesome!" Daisuke grinned, grabbing the other bowl, and we began to eat our snack. We continued to clean up, grabbing all of the trash and filling a whole black bag from it. Daisuke left to throw his bedding into the drier and start his load of clothes in the washer, and while he was doing that, I sprayed some fabric deodorizer on his bed, making it smell clean. I even sprinkled some carpet deodorizer on the carpet for when we would vacuum, now that the floor wasn't covered in dirty laundry, trash, and old food. The cinnamon-haired teen returned carrying a laundry basket with his bedding in it, dragging the vacuum cleaner behind him.

"Let's make your bed, and then vacuum. Once that's done, we can clean the window and your desk, and then we'll be done," I told him, and he nodded. We made up his bed, and while Daisuke vacuumed, I cleaned his window with the glass cleaner and paper towels, and then cleaned his desk with the wood cleaner and a rag, finishing the job with the polisher. When my friend was finished vacuuming, he looked around his room with a satisfied smile.

"My room hasn't been this clean in months!" he commented, and then looked to me. "Thanks, Ken! I don't think I would have ever gotten my room clean without you."

"You're welcome, Daisuke…" I mumbled, blushing in embarrassment.

"Boys? Are you almost finished?" Mrs. Motomiya's voice called through the door.

"Yeah, we're done! Wanna see?" Daisuke answered back. His mom opened the door and walked in, and gasped in shock.

"Your room looks just as clean as it did when we first moved in and unpacked!" she exclaimed happily. Looking at me, she added, "Ken, feel free to stay for dinner as thanks. We're having salmon tonight, so I hope you like it."

"I love seafood," I smiled at her.

"Good to know. It should be ready in about an hour," she replied, and we nodded.

"I'd best call my mom to let her know I'll be staying for dinner," I told Daisuke, and he nodded once in understanding. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and dialed my home number.

"Hello, Ken. How's everything going over at your friend's house?" Mom asked.

"It's going well," I assured her. "I'm actually staying for dinner, and they're making salmon tonight."

"Oh, that's wonderful, sweetie! Do you need me to pick you up tonight?"

"I'll walk home, but thanks, Mom."

"I'll walk you home," Daisuke said suddenly.

"Daisuke, the friend whose house I'm at right now, is offering to walk me home," I told her.

"That makes me feel better," she sighed in relief. "Just send me a text letting me know when you're leaving, okay?"

"I can do that. I love you, Mom," I said, and she replied back with the same before hanging up. "My mom's happy you're walking me home," I informed my friend once I tucked my phone in my pocket again.

"Well, after seeing how that guy nearly beat the shit out of you earlier after English today, I'd rather not risk you getting hurt again," he explained.

"Thanks," I murmured gratefully.

"How about we play a game on my PS3?" he suggested.

"I've actually never played a video game," I admitted. Daisuke blinked in surprise before speaking.

"Then I'll show you how to play!" the cinnamon-haired teen declared. He pulled out the console and a game, which looked like a 1-player, and a controller, hooking them up to the TV in his room. I sat next to him when he gestured for me to, and watched as he started up a game called "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves".

"What's this game about?" I inquired, curious.

"It's actually the third game in its series," Daisuke told me. "It's about a thief, named Sly Cooper, who was orphaned when he was a little kid because his father, who was also part of the Cooper Thief Clan, was killed, and he met his lifelong friends in the orphanage. In this one, Sly and his friends, Bentley and Murray, are trying to recruit new members to the Cooper Gang so they can break into Sly's family's vault, which has security as tight as Fort Knox, thanks to the guy who bought the island the vault is on. Right now, I'm in Holland, trying to recruit an R/C specialist named Penelope. I have to do a job that requires me to use Bentley and sedate a giant wolf so another new group member, the Guru, can control of its mind while riding it and take out several of the guards."

"Sounds difficult," I frowned.

"Nah, not really. As long as I run to a high spot where the wolf can't reach me after I dart him, then I'm good," he shrugged. I watched as Daisuke controlled the turtle in the wheelchair, named Bentley, and then darted the giant wolf shortly after starting the job and after being debriefed by a raccoon, who was apparently Sly. As soon as he shot the wolf with the sleep dart, the wolf began to chase Bentley down, but then Daisuke had Bentley jump onto a tall wooden base for a windmill, out of reach of the wolf. He repeated this process a few more times, and then the wolf fell asleep on a small hill. Then the koala, called the Guru, appeared, and Daisuke had him jump and land on the wolf while pressing a button. As soon as he landed, he had control of the wolf. Then he began to chase down guards and lunge at them, taking them out when he hit them. After he had taken down about 20 guards, the job was completed, and the wolf released.

"I love that job," Daisuke smirked when the screen said, 'Job Complete!'

"How come?" I asked, curious.

"Because I get to mow down guards while riding a giant wolf, hehe," he snickered once he paused the game. "It's fun to watch them run, too."

"Boys, dinner's ready!" Mrs. Motomiya yelled from the kitchen.

"Coming, Mom!" he called back. He saved his progress before turning off the game and getting up. He led me into the dining room, where his dad and a girl that resembled Daisuke but was a little older were sitting.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"My new friend from school, Ken," he told her. Turning to me, he added, "Ken, this is my older sister, Jun."

"Nice to meet you," I greeted, bowing slightly. She nodded, a bright smile on her face, but I could tell there was something malicious about her, because that smile was far too false for my liking.

"All right, go ahead and sit down, boys, dinner's ready," Mrs. Motomiya said as she walked over with a platter holding the salmon on it. She dished out the sides of one scoop of white rice and two pieces of garlic bread, and then sliced the salmon and served us each a piece. "Eat up, everyone!" We began to eat, and I took a bite of the salmon while it was still nice and hot.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Motomiya," I told her happily.

"I'm glad you like it, Ken," she smiled. Shooting a playful glare at Jun, she added, "Unlike a certain someone."

"I can't help that I don't like seafood!" Jun snapped defensively, picking at her salmon.

"Come on, Jun, just try it!" Daisuke urged, grinning after swallowing a bite of rice. Jun pinched her nose as she took a bite of the salmon, and then swallowed, shuddering as it went down.

"There. Happy?" she growled at her brother.

"Jeez, Jun, I was just trying to help you try something," Daisuke muttered, irritated. I quietly ate, trying not to draw attention to myself, and then Jun stood from the table and stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"I'm sorry about her behavior, Ken, she's been in a foul mood lately," Mr. Motomiya apologized.

"It's okay," I murmured, and eventually, we finished eating. After dinner, Mrs. Motomiya gathered up the dishes to wash up, and placed them by the sink before returning to the dining room. "I should probably go before my mom starts to worry," I announced, getting up from the table.

"Oh, okay," Daisuke's mom sighed, her expression guilty. "Well, I hope you'll come over again soon, Ken."

"I'll be back," I smiled lightly.

"I'm gonna walk him home, Mom," Daisuke informed her, leaving to his room to get my bag.

"Thank goodness," his mom nodded. "That makes me feel better. Have a good night, then, Ken."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Motomiya, and I will," I bowed slightly again, and then Daisuke returned with my bag. "Here are the notes from today, by the way, Daisuke." I handed my friend the notes, and he grinned at me.

"Thanks, Ken!" he said gratefully, and ran to put them in his room before coming back. "I'll be back soon, Mom!" he yelled as we left. I typed out a quick text for my mom before sending it, letting her know I was leaving now.

"So, where do you live, Ken?" Daisuke asked as we began to walk to my house.

"Not far from here, it looks like," I answered. "I'm actually just down the street."

"That's a relief. At least you live near me!" he grinned. I nodded in agreement.

"Do you want to walk to school with me tomorrow morning?" he offered, and I blinked, surprised.

"That would be nice," I mumbled, and he smiled eagerly.

"Awesome, then I'll meet you at your house, since I don't want to keep you waiting outside in case I'm late," he replied.

"Sounds good," I nodded again as we arrived at my house. "Here we are."

"I'll join you to the door," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. When we reached the front door, I pulled out my house key and unlocked the door, and was soon welcomed by my mom.

"Oh, Ken, I'm so glad you're home," she murmured as she hugged me, and then she noticed Daisuke. "Is this your new friend?"

"Yes, this is Daisuke, and he stopped a bully from hurting me today," I told her.

"Well, I'm glad that someone is willing to protect Ken," Dad smiled as he joined us.

"It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Ichijouji, but I'd best get home. I don't want to get in trouble," Daisuke said, bowing slightly, and then he turned to leave. "See you tomorrow, Ken!" he called as he left. Once the door was shut and locked, I finally let my ears out from my hair, and there was a slight twinge of pain from keeping them flat on my head all day.

"How was your first day of school, sweetie?" Mom asked as we sat down in the living room.

"It was actually good," I admitted. "Other than the bully, anyway. Like I said, Daisuke stopped him before he could do anything, and he even introduced me to his group of friends. I even found out that one of them, Yamato Ishida, is a neko, too."

"How did you find that out?" Dad frowned, curious.

"One of the other seniors, Koushiro, who's also Daisuke's friend, told me after he figured out I'm one, but he promised he wouldn't tell, and that he doesn't judge me for it," I answered. My parents smiled warmly, and I knew they were pleased.

"Thank gods that not everyone there is cruel," Dad sighed in relief, and then I yawned, exhausted from the long day.

"Let's get you to bed, dear," Mom said, and I nodded before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I was finished, I left to my room, bidding my parents goodnight and then shutting the door so I could change. After I was in my t-shirt and sleep pants, the latter of which had a hole in the back for my tail, I crawled under the blanket and went to sleep, feeling that strange fluttering in my heart again when I thought about seeing Daisuke tomorrow.

X*X(6 Weeks Later)X*X

Well, six weeks have passed since I started school, and it was currently Friday the 10th in October. I had become good friends with everyone in the group, but especially close to Daisuke, even adding all of their phone numbers to my contacts in case I needed them. I had yet to spend a night over at his house, however, considering my fears of him discovering I'm a neko and held that information from him. I knew he didn't like liars, hence my reasoning. But right now, we were all at lunch right now, chatting and eating when Daisuke suddenly piped up loudly.

"OH! I almost forgot!" he yelped, and then dug through his backpack, pulling out some black envelopes. He handed all of us in the group one each, and then grinned widely. "Go ahead, open them!" We opened them to discover that they each held an invitation to a Halloween party at the cinnamon-haired teen's house on Halloween night.

"Wow, you're having another Halloween party this year, Daisuke?" Hikari smiled.

"Yup! My parents missed everyone being over last year, so we're having one this year," he nodded excitedly. "Will everyone be able to make it?"

"We're free," Takeru answered for Hikari and himself.

"Same for us," Taichi agreed, confirming Yamato and himself.

"So can I," Koushiro, Sora, Miyako, and Iori chimed at the same time.

"What about you, Ken?" Daisuke asked, watching me expectantly.

"…I'll ask my parents, but it shouldn't be a problem," I murmured after a few seconds. Everyone seemed to accept it, but Daisuke frowned, concerned.

"Ken, can we talk in private really quick?" he inquired. I had a feeling I would have to tell him about my being a neko, so I glanced at Koushiro, who gave the slightest of nods in encouragement.

"Yeah…" I sighed, and got up with him, following him to an area outside where no one could see or hear us, and there were no cameras.

"Why'd ya hesitate? Your parents really like me, so why wouldn't they let you come over?" he questioned, concerned.

"…Daisuke…there's something I haven't told you yet," I mumbled, terrified that he would be pissed at me for lying.

"What?" he uttered, and then I slowly raised my ears from my hair, and then managed to slip my tail out from my pants without touching the hem. "You're…a neko?"

"Yes, and I didn't want to say anything because this is why I had to move," I muttered, my ears flattening out to the sides with discomfort. "I was foolish enough to reveal my neko features as a child in grade school, and was picked on and bullied all through grade school, junior high, and freshman year… I didn't want to say anything, but Koushiro figured it out on the day I met you all. He told me about Yamato being one, too, and that no one in the group would hate or judge me, but I was still terrified… You have to understand, Daisuke, I just didn't want a repeat of my past…" By this point, I was in tears, and a sob wracked my body when I felt a hug from my best friend.

"I'm so sorry, Ken…" he murmured, and his voice calmed me slightly. "I promise, I don't hate you, and I understand why you didn't tell me sooner. Don't worry, I won't tell if you don't want me to." I finally managed to calm down after a little longer, and then pulled away with a slight blush when I realized my heart was thundering in my chest. "Are you okay now?"

"I think so," I nodded, and he smiled.

"Do you want me to have the others join us? I'm sure your ears are sore from having to stay down all the time," he offered, and I nodded again, thankful. "Cool, then I'll text them and have Koushiro bring your stuff, too." He quickly tapped out the text, and sent it, and then sat down with me while we waited. Soon after, the group came over and joined us.

"So, you're a neko, too?" Yamato smiled when he saw my ears. I nodded, feeling awkward, but he merely ruffled my hair and ears with a chuckle.

"Don't worry about it," Taichi assured me. "I still love my Yama, and the neko features make him better, in my opinion."

"Yeah, none of us think any differently of you, Ken," Takeru nodded, smiling when his brother revealed his own ears and tail. "And that also explains why you don't have to participate in gym."

"So, why **did** you keep this a secret for so long?" Miyako inquired, appearing genuinely curious.

"Butt out, Miyako! He doesn't have to say if he doesn't want to!" Daisuke growled defensively.

"Don't worry, Daisuke, it's okay," I soothed. "I didn't say anything sooner because my neko features were why I had to move. I was foolish enough to show my ears and tail back in grade school, and I was picked on, bullied, and beaten up all through then, junior high, and freshman year. I just didn't want a repeat of my past…"

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Ken," Iori said, Miyako nodding sadly in agreement.

"But we're different from them. We accept Yamato, and we'll accept you just the same," Hikari smiled. I nodded, thankful that everyone had taken it so well.

"And thanks, Koushiro, for not telling," I thanked the rust-haired teen.

"Of course, Ken. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets," he replied.

"Wait, you knew?" Sora frowned, looking at him.

"Yes, I figured it out the day we all met him, by the way he was behaving," he answered. "He was just like Yamato when he first moved here."

"Good point, I didn't even put two and two together," Yamato agreed. "Still, it's nice to know I'm not the only one."

"Same here," I admitted shyly.

"So are you more willing to come to the Halloween party now, Ken?" Daisuke asked excitedly.

"Yes, and my parents shouldn't have a problem with it," I smiled.

"Oh, and I almost forgot, it's also a sleepover," the cinnamon-haired teen added. I felt a twinge of nervousness stir in my stomach at that, but ignored it. We all finished eating our lunches, and then the warning bell rang.

"We'd better get to class," Hikari said, making Takeru sigh.

"Yeah, or else Tifa will have our heads," the blonde grumbled, and his girlfriend giggle.

"Only because you have a record of making her mad," the light brunette pointed out. We all laughed before getting up and waving to each other as we left for our classes, Yamato and I hiding our ears and tails again as we left. Daisuke and I made it to Psychology and took our seats with nine seconds to spare before the final bell rang, and everyone rushed into class. After Psychology, we went to gym, and after that, Daisuke and I walked to his house. We had made it a daily alteration, where we would go to each other's house and spend the evening there, including dinner, taking turns every day. Today was Daisuke's turn, and he told me his parents were making shredded beef enchiladas, which I hadn't had as a home-cooked meal before, only in restaurants.

"So, how long has it been since you've eaten enchiladas?" Daisuke asked as we walked.

"It's been a couple of years, but they were in a restaurant, not homemade," I answered.

"Then you're gonna love my parents'. They make such good enchiladas, that I never order them in a restaurant anymore because of that," he grinned as we walked up the driveway and up to the door.

"That's impressive," I remarked, following Daisuke inside. "Now I'm eager to try them."

"Good to hear!" Mr. Motomiya called from the kitchen. He came out, wiping his hands off on a towel with a smile. "I hope your hungry, Ken, because this is going to be a big batch. I'll more than likely send you home with leftovers for you and your parents."

"Thank you, Mr. Motomiya," I thanked him.

"Would you boys like some chips and guacamole to snack on while you're waiting for dinner?" Mrs. Motomiya offered, emerging from the kitchen as well, holding a bowl of tortilla chips and a smaller bowl of guacamole on a tray.

"Sounds good," Daisuke nodded, accepting the tray. "Thanks, Mom, we'll be in my room!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Motomiya!" I called as I followed the cinnamon-haired teen to his bedroom. As I sat down on his bed, my best friend snagged the PS3 and another game to play today. He'd been trying to teach me how to play, but I had a hard time trying to remember all the controls for the various games. Normally, this wouldn't be a challenge for me, but I guess video games are different. This time, Daisuke pulled out a game titled 'Jak 3'.

"What's this game about?" I asked, and he looked at me before answering.

"Well, it's hard to explain, but first things first: you don't have to hide your ears while we're in my room," he told me. I blinked, surprised, and then raised them, feeling relief spread through me. "But anyway, the game is about this guy, Jak, being ditched in the desert outside of the city he was staying in after being accused of destroying Haven City after it was attacked by these monsters called Metal Heads. Anyway, one of his friends gives him a beacon so someone can find him, and when he collapses from heat exhaustion with his partners Daxter and Pecker, he's discovered by the king of a city called Spargus, which holds people who were abandoned and left for dead by Haven City. Jak also has these dark powers, thanks to being pumped full of something called Dark Eco. Anyway, Jak and Daxter have to save the world from being destroyed by an old enemy using dark Precursor technology. Does that make sense? Because I have a hard time explaining it sometimes."

"Yeah, it makes sense," I smiled. "Where are you at in the game now?"

"I'm actually starting a new game with all the in-game cheats that I got previously already applied," Daisuke said. "Do you wanna try and play? Or do you just wanna watch?"

"I'll just watch," I smiled, twitching my ears as I settled myself on his bed, getting comfortable. I watched as he played through the tutorial, and then got to the next cut-scene, where Damas, the king, tossed Jak a gun, making Daxter get pissed, which caused me to laugh. Daisuke guided Jak around, shooting the enemies, but when he got down to the last five, Jak suddenly groaned and clutched his head before becoming a dark version of himself. My best friend didn't even seem fazed, though, and quickly used Dark Jak to slash at the enemies, taking them out. Once they were all gone, he had Jak go up to Damas again, who was pleased to find out that Jak had dark eco powers. From there, Jack got a weapon upgrade, and then I just kind of zoned out from there, watching Daisuke himself as he played. He was sitting to my left, a bit ahead of me, so he couldn't see me staring.

The cinnamon-haired teen with brown eyes had a good figure, with tanned skin like Taichi's. From what I could see, he had some muscle build to his legs, as well as some slight muscle to his abdomen. I knew the muscle definition in his legs were from all the running and such in gym, as well as his past years playing soccer, like he'd mentioned to me once before. His hands were calloused but soft, the latter I knew from when he hugged me earlier to calm me down. He had well-defined facial features, and it made my heart flutter as I stared at him. Daisuke's a very attractive guy, so I'm surprised that he still doesn't have a girlfriend. Something in my heart tells me he doesn't want one, though, but I don't know why. Maybe I'll find out eventually.

A/N: Damn, this is a long chapter. Nine pages! NINE! That's impressive, even for me. R&amp;R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm glad I got some good reviews on the first chapter, but I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone, as long as it's nice. I actually got a review for the last chapter, saying that I'm a sick person, which confuses me. Whoever you are, if you're gonna leave a review like that, explain why, otherwise I'm just ignoring you. Also, you're gonna enjoy the Halloween party part, hehe. *smirks evilly* One last thing, I'm gonna just stick with calling Daisuke a brunette from here on out, because typing 'cinnamon-haired teen' every time is getting lengthy, and is starting to not sound quite right. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 3

"Boys, dinner's ready!" Mrs. Motomiya called from down in the dining room a couple hours after we got home.

"Awesome, let's go!" Daisuke crowed, pumping his fist excitedly, and making me smile at his enthusiasm. I followed him downstairs after hiding my ears, where I was surprised to see Jun wasn't there for once, thankfully. Every time I came over, she seemed to be cranky.

"She's spending the night with a friend," Mrs. Motomiya answered my unasked question.

"Then she's missing out, and that means more for us!" Daisuke grinned. Mr. Motomiya called us both into the kitchen, where he had plates set up for us to make our enchiladas.

"How many do you boys each want?" he asked.

"Two, please," we answered in unison, and then laughed when we realized it.

"All right, I'll start you each off with two, and then help yourselves if you want more," he chuckled. He warmed up two corn tortillas, then gave us each one, allowing us to set up our first ones and top them with enchilada sauce and cheese before giving us each another tortilla. I set mine up quickly, and then Mr. Motomiya took my plate and put it in the oven to heat the food up. Once it was ready, he handed me a hot pad to protect my hands from being burned by the plate, and then hand me my plate.

"Oh, and there's refried beans and Spanish rice over here, sweetie," Mrs. Motomiya told me, and I nodded politely before taking a large spoonful of rice and beans each and adding them to my plate. I sat down and waited for Daisuke to join me, and when he did, we smiled at each other before eating. As soon as I had the bite of enchilada in my mouth, I nearly moaned at the taste, it was so delicious.

"This is the best Mexican dish I've ever had!" I said after swallowing.

"I'm glad to hear that! If I didn't hear that from you, I would have felt a blow to my cooking skills," Mr. Motomiya joked. Daisuke swallowed his bite of enchilada as well before laughing. In the end, Daisuke and I ended up managing to eat three enchiladas each, while his parents had six altogether, and yet there were still plenty of leftovers.

"That had to be the best Mexican dinner I've ever had," I sighed as I held my full stomach.

"Wanna know his secret?" Mrs. Motomiya smirked. I nodded, and she whispered loudly, "He uses a big pressure cooker with some seasonings and onions to make the meat tender."

"Honey, why'd you tell him?!" her husband yelped.

"Oh, please, it's okay," she giggled, and he sighed, shrugging. Looking to me, she said, "You ready for dessert?"

"I didn't know there would be dessert…" I groaned, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat another bite.

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'll send some home with you for you and your parents," she assured me. I nodded with a sleepy smile, and she giggled. "I'll give you a ride home tonight, okay? Besides, you're too tired to walk and carry the leftovers."

"Thank you, Mrs. Motomiya," I told her gratefully.

"Mind if I come, too, Mom? He'll need help carrying it in," Daisuke pointed out. His mom nodded, and he smiled. Eventually, I was all set up with a large platter of six enchiladas, and another plate with three servings of flan on it. My best friend went to his room and grabbed my messenger bag, and then helped me out to his mom's red 2002 Honda Odyssey. Once we were buckled in, Mrs. Motomiya drove us to my house, and then waited in the van while Daisuke helped me carry my bag and the leftovers up the driveway and to the front door. I managed to unlock the door before opening it and going inside, Daisuke following.

"Mom? I'm home!" I called out, and she quickly came over to entryway, where she saw us struggling with the leftovers.

"What's this?" she asked, confused, as she quickly took the plate of enchiladas from me and took them to the fridge and set them in there on an open shelf.

"They're leftover enchiladas my parents made for dinner tonight, and there was so much leftover meat, my dad decided to send some with Ken," Daisuke explained. "Plus some flan they made, too." He held up the plate with the flan.

"Well, this is very kind of them!" Mom smiled happily. "Tell your parents I said thank you very much, and that we'll send something home with you sometime soon, too."

"I will, Mrs. Ichijouji," he nodded. "I'd better get going. Have a good night, and I'll see you tomorrow, Ken!"

"See you tomorrow, Daisuke!" I called as he ran back to his mom's van before I shut and locked the front door.

"That was a very nice surprise, considering your father hasn't been feeling good today, and I can't really make good Mexican dishes," Mom told me as I walked back up to the living room.

"What's wrong with Dad?" I asked, concerned.

"He's just been suffering from a cold today, but he should be okay by tomorrow," she answered. "Maybe the enchiladas will help if he has them tomorrow, seeing as it'll be a hot and tasty meal."

"Yeah, I hope so," I nodded.

"So, how was your day, sweetie?" Mom asked, sitting me down in the living room.

"It was nice," I began. "Daisuke invited us all to a Halloween party sleepover at his house on Halloween night, and I was hesitant at first because I'm a neko, but thanks to Daisuke, everyone knows now that I am one, and they're fine with my neko features."

"I'm so happy for you, Ken!" she smiled brightly, and then questioned, "So you want to stay the night at Daisuke's place, then?"

"Yes, I'm kind of excited, to be honest," I replied, blushing.

"Do you know what your costume is going to be?" she inquired curiously.

"I honestly have no clue," I admitted softly, wracking my brain for ideas.

"We'll talk about it more in the morning over breakfast. For now, let's get you to bed, sweetie," Mom assured me, and I nodded.

"Sounds good. I'll see you in the morning, Mom," I said, and then left to brush my teeth before going to my room. After I shut the door, I changed into my t-shirt and sleep pants before crawling under the covers and turning off the light. Soon after, I fell asleep.

X*X(Halloween Night, Beginning Of The Party)X*X

I finally finished my costume a few days ago, thanks to help from my mom, and I was being dropped off at Daisuke's by her, wearing the costume. Thankfully, my neko features were able to be incorporated into it, and Daisuke's parents knew of my being a neko, and didn't mind. Jun didn't, but she wouldn't be at the party tonight, so it didn't matter. Mom pulled into Daisuke's driveway, and then gave me a one-armed hug before telling me she loved me and that she would see me tomorrow, but to feel free to come home if anything came up. I went up to the door and knocked, and then waited for Daisuke to answer.

"Hey, Ken! Happy—" he started to say, but then gasped at the sight of my costume. I was dressed as a cat demon boy. I wore loose, black jeans, a tight, blood red shirt with a pentagram painted on it, a black leather jacket, black combat boots, and some black eyeliner to make my eyes stand out. I even had my tail and ears out comfortably, my tail waving contently as I held my overnight bag.

"What's wrong, Daisuke?" Taichi's voice called, and he joined my friend at the door, dressed as a vampire. "Wow! Ken, you look awesome!" Daisuke snapped out of his shock at that moment.

"Holy shit, Ken! I say you beat everyone else's costumes!" he grinned. "Come on, everyone else is already here!" Taichi and Daisuke let me in, and then the younger brunette, dressed as a vampire as well, yelled to everyone, "Ken's here!" Yamato emerged from downstairs first as a were-cat, followed by everyone else, and they all gawked at my costume like Daisuke had.

"I like how you incorporated your neko features into your costume," Yamato finally said, smirking.

"Ken wins best costume of the night!" Miyako, dressed as a witch, declared, and there were murmured agreements among the group.

"Then Ken gets the award tonight, and he'll get the prize," Sora, dressed as a Native American, smiled.

"What's this year's prize, Daisuke?" Takeru, dressed as a demon, complete with little red horns, questioned.

"We'll find out later, Takeru," Hikari, dressed as an angel, chided. I looked at Koushiro and Iori to see Koushiro was dressed as a mad scientist, while Iori was dressed as Einstein.

"Thanks, guys," I murmured, blushing shyly. I didn't realize I'd had that amazing of a costume compared to the others, but I won't argue it.

"Is Ken here?" Mrs. Motomiya asked, walking into the room with a spider web print witch hat on. She saw my costume, and smiled brightly. "I love your costume, Ken. You did wonderfully."

"Thank you, Mrs. Motomiya," I smiled slightly.

"Well, go ahead and go back downstairs, everyone. I'll bring down the pizza soon," she told us all, and we went downstairs. I was surprised to see all sorts of snacks, including chips and dip, tortilla chips and salsa, cheese and cracker platters, veggie platters, fruit platters, fruit punch, a chocolate fountain with pretzels and strawberries next to it, and even a crock pot with meatballs in marinara sauce. There was also music playing in the background from the stereo against the far wall.

"You and your parents went all out, huh, Daisuke?" I guessed, looking at him.

"Nah, this is how we've done it since Miyako, Hikari, Takeru, and I were in 6th grade," Daisuke shrugged nonchalantly. "And the best part is the three Jack-O-Lantern pizzas Mom's baking right now. We get them from a local pizza place, and they're delicious. You like pepperoni and olives on pizza, right? If you don't like olives, don't worry, there's only two on each one."

"I'm fine with that," I assured him. "Pepperoni's good, anyway."

"Thank gods you're not picky. Jun is the worst, so I'm glad she went to that rave tonight with her friends and won't be back until tomorrow night," the brunette sighed in relief.

"Why is she so picky, anyway?" I frowned.

"I'll tell you tomorrow once everyone leaves," he muttered quietly so no one else could hear. I nodded once in understanding, and then he smirked, flashing his fake fangs, "I hope you have an appetite."

"I haven't eaten since breakfast, actually," I admitted, embarrassed. Then my stomach growled, drawing a blush to my pale face.

"Then get something to eat!" Daisuke grinned, and pushed me towards the snack table. As soon as the warmth of his hands left my back, I felt cold and a slight pang of sadness for some reason. Shaking my head to clear it, I got some food, and then just mingled with everyone while we waited for the pizzas to be ready. After about 20 minutes, Mr. and Mrs. Motomiya came down, each carrying a pizza.

"Pizzas are ready, everyone!" Mrs. Motomiya announced, setting the pizza she was carrying on another table. Mr. Motomiya set his on the same table, and then his wife left to grab the third pizza while he began to slice the two that were there. We waited until Mrs. Motomiya returned with the third one and it was sliced before grabbing ourselves each a plate and getting some pizza. We each grabbed two slices to start with, except for Taichi and Daisuke, who grabbed four each. Yamato quirked a brow at his boyfriend, who shrugged in response.

"Daisuke, don't eat all of it!" Miyako growled irritably.

"Hey, I'm hungry, but I can't eat three pizzas!" he snapped.

"Not in one sitting, anyway," I snickered, making him gape at me in shock while everyone else laughed.

"I thought you were on my side here, Ken!" he whined.

"I am, but if you throw up from eating too much pizza, don't come crying to me," I smirked.

"Reminds me of how Taichi used to be when we were younger," Yamato chuckled, making said brunette glare playfully at him.

"Don't start that," he grumbled. We then proceeded to eat our pizza while watching a scary movie titled 'Human Centipede'. I'd heard it was one of the scariest and most disturbing movies ever, so I was nervous to watch it, lest I get any nightmares, but Daisuke promised me it would be okay. Everyone was eating and watching, but when it started to get scary, I could see Iori and Miyako shivering lightly out of fear. There was a sudden bang from the movie, and I jumped with a yelp, the fur on my tail fluffing up out of fear. I wasn't the only one, as Yamato had been startled enough to make his tail fluff up, too. The blonde had reflexively curled against Taichi, seeking comfort, and I could see the blush on the fellow neko's face as he did so. The brunette merely smiled and rubbed his back comfortingly as I watched.

I was starting to feel queasy, but I wasn't sure if it was because I ate too much, the scariness of the movie, the fact that I had no one to comfort me like Yamato did, or a combination of the three. My blue eyes couldn't help but glaze over as I wondered if Daisuke was the one I wanted like that. After all, we were such close friends, he accepted my being a neko like Taichi accepted Yamato, and I also felt strange stirrings in my heart towards the brunette sometimes. I wasn't sure what those feelings were, but I had an inkling they meant I longed for Daisuke. I'd probably have to ask either Yamato or Mom. Maybe it was a neko thing, which is why I thought of the blonde neko. Either way, I need to figure this out before it becomes too much.

"You okay, Ken?" Daisuke asked in a soft whisper, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked and looked at him, surprised to see that he appeared concerned.

"I'm fine, Daisuke," I assured him with a slight smile, returning my attention to the movie. Unfortunately, my mind didn't want to focus on the movie, and I zoned out again, thinking about Daisuke.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When the movie ended, I could see everyone with horrified and disgusted looks on their faces from the film. Taichi, Daisuke, and I were the only ones that were fine, but that was because I'd barely paid it any attention.

"Is anybody else feeling scared enough to just about shit their pants after watching that?" Takeru asked in a shaky voice, and Hikari nodded timidly.

"I hope it's not bad if I ask for a light to be left on tonight," Iori said nervously.

"I'll leave a small light on when we go to bed," Daisuke told him.

"Thank gods…" Miyako sighed in relief.

"That…was the most disturbing movie I've ever seen," Koushiro mumbled.

"I gotta admit, I was about to be sick from that," Sora confessed.

"Can we not dwell on it?" Yamato pleaded, his ears folded back like my own.

"Yeah, let's just not talk about it anymore," Taichi agreed. We all let out a collective sigh, grateful to not continue talking about it. Daisuke hopped off the blue beanbag he was sitting on, and then ejected the disc from the DVD player.

"Now I'm glad this is just a rental," he laughed lightly. Glancing at me briefly, he asked, "So, is anyone tired?"

"I really don't want to sleep yet after that," Hikari muttered.

"How about 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', and then we'll go to sleep?" Daisuke suggested. Everyone nodded eagerly at this, and then the brown-eyed teen said, "Awesome, then we'll get changed into our night clothes in case anyone falls asleep during the movie. Unless we want to sleep with our costumes on?"

"Girls get the upstairs bathroom!" Miyako shrieked, and then dashed over to grab her bag before darting upstairs to change. All of us each blinked, surprised by her sudden energy burst, and then Sora and Hikari copied her, but at a slower pace.

"We'll get changed down here, if you want," Taichi offered to Daisuke, who nodded.

"Yeah, I'll get changed in my room, but I'll let Ken go first," he said, and I nodded. I changed in Daisuke's bedroom, pulling off the boots, jacket, shirt, and jeans until I was in my black boxers, and then pulled out my black sleep pants with electric blue lightning bolts patterned on them and a blue t-shirt with a flame on the front, and even a pair of black socks. Before I could even get dressed, however, the door swung open, and Daisuke almost ran in with a panicked look, but immediately backed out with a yelp and a blush. My own cheeks were burning red with embarrassment, and my eyes were as wide as saucers and my heart was thundering in my chest, even after he'd shut the door again.

"Sorry, Ken!" he apologized from the other side of the door. "I forgot you were changing! Miyako was threatening to put lipstick on me!" I couldn't even say anything, I was so shocked, but he quickly added, "I'll be downstairs, sorry!" I heard his footsteps quickly thump down the stairs to the den after he spoke. Silently, I finished getting dressed, and then folded my costume neatly into my bag after retrieving my comb, toothbrush, and toothpaste. I combed out my hair, and then slipped out of Daisuke's bedroom to brush my teeth in his bathroom. After I'd rinsed my mouth out, I silently retreated back to Daisuke's room and put my stuff back, and then brought my bag downstairs to the den, where a blushing Daisuke was waiting with the others. Miyako had the decency to have a guilty expression on her face, seeing as she almost chased Daisuke into his room while I was changing in there.

"Sorry about that, Ken, I didn't know you were changing in there," she apologized.

"It's…okay, Miyako, just embarrassing," I mumbled, blushing a bit. She gave me a sheepish grin in response.

"So… Ready for the movie, gang?" Taichi finally said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Sounds good," Yamato nodded, sort of making the tension in the room melt as the movie started. Daisuke handed everyone each a throw blanket, just in case anyone fell asleep, and I curled up under the dark red dragon throw he'd handed me. The younger brunette flopped onto his blue beanbag next to the green one I was on with his wolf throw covering him, and then settled down to watch the movie. While we watched, I realized my heart was beating pretty fast, possibly due to the close proximity I had with Daisuke. I fished my phone out of my bag from next to me, and then tapped a quick message to Yamato, who had his phone on silent, thankfully, but still noticed his phone light up. Daisuke appeared to be engrossed in the movie, mercifully, so he didn't notice.

'_Yamato, I have a…strange question for you,_' I typed. I watched him type a quick reply before glancing briefly at me, his sapphire eyes glowing from the light emitting from the TV.

'_Sure, Ken, shoot._'

'_How did you feel when you first started falling for Taichi?_' I heard a very faint, surprised noise from him, but he texted me back regardless.

'_I felt like my heart was trying to guide me closer to him, and I often caught myself watching him. I was terrified I would be rejected, so I tried to suppress it. Biggest mistake I'd ever made. Anyway, I tried avoiding Taichi when the feelings got stronger, and he eventually managed to corner me and demand to know why I was avoiding him. I snapped, and accidentally confessed, but it turned out he'd been scared to tell me, too, for the same exact reason. You know the rest from there. Why do you ask?_'

'_I'll tell you, but please, please promise you won't tell anyone until I'm ready?_'

'_Of course, Ken! We're fellow nekos, and I feel like you're a little brother to me, like Takeru._'

'_Okay… Thank you. I've been feeling strange stirrings and fluttering in my heart whenever I'm with Daisuke and he just laughs, smiles at me, or touches me, even if it's just an accidental brush-up. When he walked in on me earlier, my heart was thundering in my chest, and didn't calm down until I managed to force myself to. Even now, my heart is beating quickly, despite us not touching. I've fallen for him, haven't I…?_'

'_It sounds like it, my friend, and you've fallen for him hard. Just don't make the same mistake I did by trying to suppress it, and don't avoid him if possible. I'd hate to see you or him suffer like Taichi and I did._' I sighed silently at the text.

'_But he used to like Hikari. He can't possibly be gay, or even bi for that matter. I'm scared to be turned down, Yamato… If he doesn't feel the same for me as I do for him, I don't know what I'll do, because things won't be the same between us…_'

'_You don't know until you try, Ken. Just try and get closer, drop some subtle hints if you can. Maybe then he'll get the picture._'

'_I'll try that. Thank you, Yamato._'

'_Anytime, my friend._'

I tucked my phone away again, and then returned my focus to the movie, but I felt myself getting sleepy. Finally, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

X*X(Ken's Dream)X*X

"Ahhhh-haaa…" I moaned as the brunette above me gave a particularly hard thrust. His normally chocolate brown eyes were dark with lust, and he had a completely erotic expression on his face as he pounded into me.

"You like that?" Daisuke asked breathlessly, striking my prostate.

"H-holy fuck!" I yelped from the pleasure of it.

"You're so tight, Ken…" he panted, and then kissed me passionately, slipping his tongue past my lips and into my mouth, tasting me. I could feel my release approaching rapidly, as every thrust he gave hit my prostate perfectly. I was so, so close…

X*X(End Of Dream)X*X

I woke up with a silent gasp, sitting up quickly and immediately feeling stickiness in my sleep pants. I was horrified; I'm already having wet dreams about him?! I can't do this. Screw what Yamato said about avoiding him, I need to get out of here, and now. I silently got up from the beanbag, set the surprisingly clean throw blanket on the beanbag, and then grabbed my bag and boots before fishing out my phone and slipping on my boots. I then snuck upstairs to the front door, and then left, pulling out my house key once outside. I typed out a quick message to Mom, letting her know I was coming home because I had a bit of an emergency, but nothing medical, and that I wanted to be left alone. After I sent that to her, I tapped out another text to Daisuke, apologizing for leaving early, but that I wasn't feeling good and didn't want to wake him up and worry him. Right after I sent the text to Daisuke, Mom replied back.

'_That's fine, sweetie, I'll be here if you need me. Remember, I love you._'

I nearly started tearing up at that, but scrubbed at my eyes and waited until I was home and in my room with clean sleep pants and boxers on before breaking down. I cried quietly, knowing my crush was a hopeless case, and that there was no way in hell he'd ever return my feelings. Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, feeling depression hit me hard.

A/N: Sorry for the depressing ending to this chapter, but I needed to end this at 8 pages, or else I'd go until it was 10+ pages. R&amp;R, peeps! (BUT NO FLAMES OR INSULTS!)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, now for the continuation! And sorry about the delayed update compared to last week. I had a lot of free time the other week, hehe~! Oh, and those Jack-O-Lantern pizzas I mentioned in the last chapter are actually an annual tradition my family does on Halloween. We get one from Papa Murphy's every Halloween, and it's delicious! I even got a container of their chocolate chip cookie dough this year, too. It was orange dough, which was funny. Just thought I'd share! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 4

When I woke up, it was to my cell phone's ring tone for Daisuke going off, 'Let's Kick It Up'. I groggily reached over and grabbed my phone off the bedside table, waiting until it went to voicemail until I checked the screen. Six missed calls now and nine texts, all from Daisuke. I checked the texts and saw he was freaking out, apologizing for last night when he walked in on me changing, as though he thought that was the problem, and then the last text said he would come over if I didn't pick up the phone. Two new texts suddenly popped up, one from Yamato, and on from Daisuke saying he was coming over now. That woke me up like a bucket of water. I scrambled out of bed, and then ran down into the living room, where Mom was watching TV and drinking coffee.

"Ken? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"I'll tell you later, but Daisuke's on his way over, but I don't want to see him right now. Tell him I'm sleeping and don't feel good, please!" I begged, and she nodded, knowing I needed her help badly.

"Go to your room, sweetie, and I'll let you know once he's left," she ordered, and I swiftly retreated to my bedroom, my tail streaming behind me, narrowly avoiding being caught in the door. As soon as I was completely under the covers, my ears folded back with fear, the doorbell rang and Daisuke knocked rapidly on the door. I heard Mom answer the door, and, curiosity piqued, I listened in as I checked the text from Yamato.

'_Why'd you leave, Ken? Daisuke's worried sick about you, so why are you going against my advice? Don't suppress it, no matter what, or else it'll get worse._' Great.

"Mrs. Ichijouji, I need to see Ken, please! I don't know what happened in the middle of the night, but he left the while everyone was sleeping and just texted me early this morning saying he wasn't feeling good and didn't want to wake me," he explained. "I know he's not telling the truth, but I'm worried about him! Please, just let me talk to him! I tried calling and texting him, but he wouldn't answer!"

"I'm sorry, Daisuke, but he's sleeping, and he really doesn't feel well," Mom told him, and I could hear the frown in her voice.

"I don't beg for anything, ever, but I am now, please just let me talk to him!" he pleaded.

"Daisuke, I'm sorry, but I don't want his rest to be interrupted," she sighed. After a bit where I couldn't hear anything, the door shut, and then there were quiet footsteps coming upstairs to my room. A quiet knock sounded, and the door opened then closed, but still I remained under the covers.

"Ken…?" Daisuke's voice murmured softly, making me stiffen. What the fuck was he doing in my room?! "Ken, I know you're awake. Come out from under the blanket, please?" Slowly, timidly, I lifted the blanket and moved it off of me, and then sat on the edge, not looking at him. "Why won't you look at me, Ken? Did I do something wrong?"

"…It's not you, it's me," I mumbled, still staring at the floor.

"What's going on, Ken? This isn't like you, and I'm worried about you," he told me, concern filling his voice. I didn't say anything, which seemed to irritate him. "Dammit, Ken, I wanna help, but you won't let me! You know I could never hate you! After all, you're my best friend!"

"…And that's all I'll ever be," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes.

"What?" he uttered, furrowing his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Are you that dense to not know what I'm saying?!" I snarled, feeling my pain flare up as rage. I glared at the brunette in frustration as the tears streaked down my face. "What I'm saying is that I'm in love with you, Daisuke!" My eyes widened in horror at what I'd just let slip, and I turned away, my back to him as I curled up in a ball on the bed.

"Ken, I—"

"Just leave me alone, Daisuke," I muttered, cutting him off. "I want to be alone, just as I will be for the rest of my life." I hated the way my breath hitched at the end, but ignored it for the sake of listening to find out if he would leave. There was silence, and then I was horrified to feel the mattress dip under his weight as he crawled onto my bed to wrap his arms around me.

"Ken, you didn't let me finish," he whispered in my ear, making me shiver. "I was trying to say that I love you, too." I froze in shock, stunned by the last four words he'd just uttered. I turned my head slightly to look at him, praying this wasn't a joke or a dream.

"You mean that?" I breathed, my eyes wide with disbelief.

"Of course," he smiled slightly, and then turned me around gently so I was facing him. Once I was, he kissed me softly, and the feeling made my heart leap, then soar. My eyelids fluttered closed, and I kissed him back. Automatically, my arms reached up to wrap around his neck, and he held me close, the grip around my waist gentle yet firm. Eventually, the need for air became too great, so we pulled apart, breathing deeply.

"Do you believe me now?" he smirked.

"Yes," I nodded once, weakly. Daisuke pulled me close to him, holding me against his chest, and he rubbed my back soothingly. My ears twitched, however, when I heard a light knock on my bedroom door.

"Ken? Daisuke? Are you boys okay?" Mom called through the door.

"Yeah, I'm better than okay now, Mom," I answered back.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Yes." She came in, and smiled at the sight of Daisuke holding me the way he was.

"It's about time you boys finally admitted it to each other!" she giggled, then laughed at our expressions.

"How'd you know, Mom?" I yelped, sitting up but still remaining close to the brunette.

"Ken, dear, I know you better than you know yourself," she smiled. "I knew you loved Daisuke the day you met him, even if you weren't aware of it yourself. And your father and I have talked about this. We have no problems with you dating Daisuke."

"Thank you, Mom," I told her gratefully.

"You're welcome, Ken. Do you want to go back to Daisuke's house for the day? Or would you rather he stay over here?" she offered.

"Whichever he wants," I answered, and she nodded.

"All right. And in case you decide to stay here, I'll leave $20 on the table for you for lunch, because I need to go out shopping," she replied, and then left.

"I'm surprised your parents took it that well," Daisuke remarked with a chuckle.

"They've always wanted me to just be happy," I explained. "What about your family?"

"My parents already know I'm gay and that I love you, but Jun doesn't," he shrugged. "That won't be a problem, though."

"I'm glad to hear it," I sighed happily. A sudden chime went off on Daisuke's cell phone, and he pulled it out of his pocket to find he had a text. I looked to see Yamato had texted him. "What'd he say?" The brunette opened the text to read it to me.

"'Is everything okay? You've been gone for 20 minutes,'" he read. He quickly tapped out a reply, which read, '_I'll be back soon…_'

"I'll go back with you," I told him, and he smiled.

"Good to hear. After all, you still need to claim your prize for the best costume," he reminded me, and I nodded.

"I forgot about that," I murmured.

"So…why did you leave?" he asked, and my face immediately heated up when I remembered the wet dream. He saw my blush, and smirked. "Did you dream about me?" I nodded once. "Was it a wet dream?"

"Daisuke!" I whined, blushing harder, and he laughed.

"Don't worry, Ken, I had a few myself, too," he chuckled. "They didn't happen until a week before the party, though, and I had three altogether." I didn't say anything, instead burying my face into his chest in an attempt to hide my blush. "Come on, let's go back. Everyone's waiting for me, and they'll be happy to see you back. We were all worried about you, ya know, but I was scared shitless."

"Sorry," I mumbled, the word muffled against his chest.

"It's okay, Ken. Go ahead and get dressed. I'll be waiting in the hall outside your room," he told me, and I nodded, my ears twitching slightly as he got up. He left my bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and then I jumped up and got dressed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a midnight blue t-shirt with a silver dragon on it, a pair of white socks, and then I grabbed my grey zip-up hoodie with a black wolf face on the back and a small white wolf silhouette on the front on the left side of my chest. After I was dressed, I pulled on my black and white converse before snagging my phone, ear buds, wallet, and house key and tucking them into my hoodie pockets. Once I was ready, I opened the door and stepped out to see Daisuke texting.

"Who are you texting?" I asked, curious.

"My mom. She warned me that Jun's on her way home, and is kinda hung over, judging by her voice when she called, so she's letting me know to either keep it down when I get back, or maybe just stay away," he sighed. Another chime sounded, and he read the new text to me. "'She just called again and is stuck in traffic, so she won't be back until at least noon.'" He scoffed. "More like she's just buying brunch with her friends so she has something in her stomach."

"Do you just want to hang out over here? I don't have any video games, but I have some movies," I offered.

"We'll see what everyone says when we swing by my house," he shrugged, and then grinned at me. "Looking good, Ken. Let's head back." He paused by the front door, however, a look of realization on his face, which worried me, so I placed my hand on his shoulder before speaking.

"What's wrong?" I frowned, puzzled.

"I never asked you out properly," the brunette explained, causing me to blink, surprised. He turned to me and took both of my hands in his. "Ken, would you like to be my boyfriend?"

"Of course, Daisuke," I smiled warmly.

"Now we're official," he grinned, taking my right hand in his left. I hid my ears and tail before locking the front door behind me, and then we walked to back Daisuke's house together. As soon as we walked through the doorway, there were a bunch of footsteps storming up from the den, and Yamato was leading the way with Taichi right behind him. They spotted me with Daisuke, and then the blonde neko eyed our linked hands with a smile.

"It's about time!" Hikari giggled, apparently noticing as well.

"Wait, how'd you know?" I asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"It was obvious with how you two behaved around each other all the time," Takeru explained.

"I'm glad it didn't take too long, unlike with Taichi and me," Yamato smirked.

"Hey, as long as we're all happy," Taichi pointed out.

"Daisuke? Are you back?" Mrs. Motomiya called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, **we're** back, Mom!" my new boyfriend answered back.

"I knew it!" she squealed, running downstairs to greet us. "I'm so happy you two are now dating!" She hugged us both tightly, and then released us. "Ken, you're welcome over here anytime, so don't be a stranger. And Daisuke, treat him well, he deserves it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Motomiya," I smiled.

"I promise, I'll take care of him," Daisuke promised.

"Good to hear," she nodded in approval.

"Oh yeah, Ken's offering if we all want to hang out at his house while Jun's recovering. What do you guys say?" the younger brunette told everyone.

"Well, Sora and I have a project we need to work on for chemistry, so we have to get home," Koushiro said as Sora hummed in agreement.

"Miyako's supposed to help me with some math homework, actually, so we can't stay, either," Iori sighed.

"And Takeru and I are going on a lunch date today, but I need to stop by home to change into better clothes," Hikari added.

"We're free," Taichi told us, and Yamato nodded.

"Now that that's settled, we'd best get going now," I pointed out, looking at my phone, which read 11:45. Everyone nodded, and then they all left to grab their belongings from downstairs while I went with Daisuke to his room. "I didn't think they all knew we liked each other," I remarked as he packed his backpack with clothes and other overnight supplies.

"Maybe it was just Hikari and Takeru who knew," he shrugged. "After all, Hikari's perceptive, and she tells Takeru everything." I nodded, and then noticed he was struggling to zip up his backpack. I laughed quietly, and then took his backpack and began to take out his clothes and fold them neatly. Once they were no longer balled up and were neatly placed in his backpack, I put everything else back in and zipped it up with ease.

"You need to learn how to fold neatly, Daisuke," I smirked, making him stick his tongue out at me teasingly.

"Normally Mom folds my laundry, not me," he shrugged. The brunette slung his backpack onto his shoulders, and then we went back downstairs, where everyone was waiting for us, including Mrs. Motomiya. She had a small gift bag in her hands, and handed it to me when she saw me.

"This is your prize for the best costume," she smiled.

"Thank you," I told her, and accepted the gift from her.

"See you Monday!" we all called to each other as Taichi, Yamato, Daisuke, and I walked to my house. The younger brunette reached out and took my hand in his as we walked, making my lips curve into a small smile. When we got to my house, I unlocked the front door and let the others inside before following them and kicking off my shoes into the hall closet. My friends copied me, and then I led them into the living room, placing the gift bag on the kitchen counter by the money, but then I heard a surprised sound from Daisuke. My ears twitched when I heard him, so I looked over to see him examining the small urn on the mantle.

"What happened here, Ken?" the younger brunette asked, frowning in concern.

"That's Sam. He would have been my older brother by two years, but he was stillborn," I explained softly. "The doctors told my parents it was because the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, suffocating him."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ken…" Daisuke murmured, but I shook my head.

"It's okay. My parents miss him, but they accept that he's gone. Besides, they have me now," I assured him. Snagging the $20 Mom had left for us on the counter, I asked, "Is anyone hungry?" Daisuke's and Taichi's stomachs growled, answering my question and making Yamato and me laugh.

"How are you still hungry?" the blonde asked his boyfriend with a quirked brow.

"I'm still growing, Yama!" Taichi exclaimed, flailing his arms.

"Well, I didn't even get breakfast. I was too worried about Ken," Daisuke pouted.

"I didn't know that…" I mumbled, but the younger brunette shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he assured me, kissing my forehead.

"All right…" I said softly, blushing. "Is pizza okay again?" I offered, and received eager nods from the other three in response. "Perfect, then I'll call in the order now. What does everyone want? I'll order two pizzas."

"Pepperoni is all I want," Daisuke answered.

"We'll do a pepperoni and sausage," Taichi chimed in, and Yamato nodded in agreement.

"Is cheese-stuffed crust okay for both of them?" I asked, and received excited gasps in response. Once I'd placed the order and ended the call, I remembered the gift bag.

"Aren't you gonna open your prize, Ken?" Daisuke asked eagerly. I nodded, and then pulled out the orange tissue paper to reveal a bag of homemade salt water taffy and a $25 gift card to a favorite online shopping site I happen to use often. "What do you think?"

"I think your family spoils your friends," I chuckled, and then hugged him. "Thank you."

"Of course, Ken," he murmured, hugging me back. Once we pulled apart, I looked to the older pair.

"I hope you guys like our den," I smiled, and then led them down to my family's den. The three gasped in awe when they saw the entertainment center, which almost resembled a movie theater. The widescreen, 60" TV was mounted to the wall, and a large collection of DVD movies and varying seasons of different TV shows were all on shelves by the TV. Off to the right, there was a mini bar with a fridge next to it that held an assortment of sodas, juices, energy drinks, and even some milk and different ice creams to make shakes with in the blender that was under the mini bar's counter. There were also cups under the counter as well. A bathroom was right next to the stairs, too, just in case.

"Do you guys like it?" I asked, flicking on the light.

"You're joking, right?" Yamato said, his face showing his awe.

"This is better than my place!" Daisuke yelped, looking at the DVD collection. "Shit, you guys practically have every great movie for every genre!"

"My parents are especially horror movie buffs, but I can't handle them too well. I think it was because they started me off too young," I admitted, my ears flattening out to the sides.

"You handled 'Human Centipede' well," my boyfriend pointed out.

"Yes, but I was actually thinking more about you, not really focusing on the movie," I replied honestly. The younger brunette nodded in understanding.

"That movie wasn't too bad, but a bit of a stomach turner," Taichi laughed, wrapping one arm around Yamato's waist when he noticed the blonde's face turning a bit green. Then he scratched behind the neko's ears, causing him to practically melt in the older brunette's hold as he began to purr. Yamato blushed heavily, swatting his boyfriend's hands away.

"Gods dammit, Taichi, not around our friends!" he snapped, still blushing.

"I didn't realize your ears were that sensitive, Yamato," Daisuke snickered, and then looked at me, his expression mischievous.

"Don't even think about it," I warned, backing away. Suddenly, I was pinned to the floor by the younger brunette, who began to gently scratch behind my ears in a soothing manner. "Ah!" I gasped; I'd never felt anyone scratch my ears before, and after seeing Yamato's reaction to it, wasn't sure I wanted to. But now…after feeling it, I felt different. That's when I began to purr.

"I knew it!" my boyfriend crowed, snapping me out of my trance. I smacked his hands away, blushing furiously.

"Please don't," I grumbled, my cheeks still tinted from my blush. Yamato placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.

"Don't worry, that just means you've definitely found your true love," he told me. "No one but Daisuke will be able to make you purr like that, and same goes for me and Taichi."

"Really?" I frowned, doubtful.

"Yeah, Sora once tried it on Yamato as a joke, but it didn't work," Taichi chuckled.

"Well, that's good to know," I sighed in relief, and then the doorbell rang.

"Want me to get it, Ken?" Daisuke asked, and I nodded before handing him the money.

"Thanks, and tell them to keep the change," I smiled, and he went upstairs to get the pizzas and pay the delivery person. A few minutes passed, and then my boyfriend came back downstairs, carrying both pizzas.

"I would have grabbed plates, but I couldn't remember where they were, sorry," he apologized, setting the pizza boxes on the coffee table.

"No worries, I'll go get them," I assured him, heading upstairs. Yamato followed me into the kitchen, and I thanked him when he offered to help me carry the plates, parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, and some napkins down.

"Of course, Ken," he smiled, and then we went back downstairs to find Daisuke and Taichi arguing over something.

"No, 'The Lion King' is too childish!" Taichi snapped at Daisuke.

"I'd rather not traumatize Ken with 'The Ring'!" the shorter brunette growled.

"Really, guys?" Yamato sighed, shaking his head while my ears flattened out to the sides, showing my discomfort. "You don't need to fight about what we watch."

"But Daisuke's picking something for kids!" his boyfriend whined.

"And you sound like one now," the blonde retorted. "Behave, Taichi, we're not at our homes."

"We can watch both," I said softly, finally piping up. They all looked at me, ad I added, "As long as no one fights."

"Deal," the three agreed. I nodded in satisfaction, and then set the plates and such on the coffee table before heading to the fridge.

"What does everyone want to drink?" I inquired. "We have soda, juice, energy drinks, and milk."

"What kind of sodas?" Daisuke asked as he grabbed two slices of pizza and put them on his plate.

"Pepsi, Coke, root beer, ginger ale, and Squirt," I answered.

"What's Squirt?" my boyfriend frowned, curious.

"It's a grapefruit soda. It's actually really good," I told him. "Wanna try one?"

"Sure," he shrugged. I tossed him a can, and then tossed Yamato and Taichi each a Pepsi, as requested. I grabbed a Squirt for myself, and once I got a couple slices of pizza, I sat down with Daisuke on the loveseat. Taichi and Yamato were sharing the couch nearby, and then I started 'The Ring'. I tried to focus on eating my pizza instead of the scariness of the movie, but it wasn't really working. I managed to finish eating, and then had to curl up against Daisuke in an attempt to block out the movie. Right when I happened to look up, however, there was a sudden bang when a scary part hit, making me yelp and bury my head into Daisuke's chest, my ears flat against my head with fear. Unfortunately, I couldn't help the whimper that escaped me, but thankfully, the younger brunette rubbed my back soothingly. He kissed the top of my head between my ears, calming me slightly, and then scratched my ears, causing my muscles to relax and drawing a quiet purr and a blush from me.

"Better?" he whispered, and I nodded, still hiding my face against his shirt. He continued to rub my ears while holding me close to him, where I remained until the movie was over. When it ended, I raised my head and looked over to see Yamato hiding his face against Taichi's chest. The blonde neko lifted his head from the older brunette's chest and sighed in relief when he realized the movie was over.

"Thank gods," he muttered. Glaring at Taichi, he growled, "You do realize I hate that movie, right?"

"Hey, it earned me some cuddle time with you," his boyfriend grinned cheekily. This remark earned him a swift smack over his head and a glare.

"Keep it up and you'll get no intimacy for a week," Yamato spat.

"All right, sorry…" Taichi muttered, rubbing the top of his head.

"No worries, guys, we'll watch something funny next," I assured them, getting up to search through the DVD collection. Finally, I plucked out the case I was searching for, and popped the DVD in. "I'm sure we'll be dying of laughter during this."

"What's this one?" Yamato inquired.

"It's called 'Voices In My Head', and it's a comedy special by Christopher Titus, who's a really funny comedian in America," I explained.

"Never heard of him," Taichi frowned.

"Don't worry, he's really funny," I replied, and then hit play once I was sitting down with Daisuke again. We watched the entire special, and we laughed our asses off for a majority of it, resulting in me having to rewind several times. For the rest of the day, we spent our time watching movies and comedy specials, and whenever Taichi chose a scary movie, Yamato and I would huddle against our respective boyfriends for comfort. But the day was fun, and that was what mattered, even when the older pair had to go home. Daisuke ended up spending the night, thankfully, as I was eager for him to actually stay the night at my house. My parents were more than willing to have the brunette over, and we had parmesan chicken for dinner. Daisuke even slept in my bed with me, promising nothing would go wrong while we slept. I was fine with that, despite feeling a slight twinge of something in my heart. I didn't know what it was, but it felt almost like excitement. I just dismissed it, and like my boyfriend had promised, nothing went wrong. I knew I could trust him, and that confirmed it. Daisuke would forever be with me, no matter what.

A/N: Well, another long chapter! Let me know if you have any questions! R&amp;R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Yes, it's time for another time skip. But you'll like this one! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Soft Spoken

Chapter 5

X*X(3 Years Later)X*X

So, it's been almost three years since Daisuke and I began dating, and a lot has changed since then. Miyako, Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, and I had graduated from high school earlier in the year and had moved on to go to college in Tokyo on scholarships. Miyako was going for a degree in computer technology, and had started dating Koushiro a year after he graduated. Hikari was aiming for photography, while Takeru was going for journalism, with some help from his girlfriend's pictures. Daisuke's focus was to be a professional soccer player, as I had discovered his passion and talent for the sport during our junior year. As for me, I was going for a degree as a zoologist, my specialty being large cats. I had realized I had a special connection with them when Daisuke took me to a special sanctuary for big cats, where I got to bond with all of the tigers and a few of each of the other big cat species. For me, it made me desire a job to help care for them and save the endangered ones, and Daisuke was fully supportive.

As for Yamato, Taichi, Koushiro, and Sora, they were also at the same college, going for their own degrees. Yamato was focusing on becoming a musician, Taichi was aiming for soccer like Daisuke, Koushiro's goal was a degree in computer technology, and Sora was actually going for fashion design. And with Iori, he would be graduating by next summer, and he wanted to be a lawyer.

Daisuke and I had gotten an apartment together, thankfully, and Yamato and Taichi were right next door to us, surprisingly in the apartment on our right. Hikari and Takeru were on the other side of us, ironically enough. Miyako moved in with Koushiro, and Sora was sharing an apartment with Taichi's cousin, Shixona. The brunette girl was very nice, and got along well with all of us. She also completely supported our gay relationships and Yamato and my being nekos. As a matter of fact, she even thought we were all cute together.

Now, despite being together for three years, Daisuke and I still have not had sex yet. I felt guilty at certain times when we would start making out, and things would become a bit heated, resulting in Daisuke and me becoming hard, but I wouldn't be brave enough to go any further. In those instances, we would have to finish in private, and I felt horrible each time. At one point, I confessed my feelings to Yamato, and he understood completely. He hadn't had sex with Taichi yet either, but he was trying to prepare himself so he would be ready. The blonde neko assured me that when the time was right, I would know, but to try not to push myself into doing it in the meantime. That was a few weeks ago, and Daisuke and my anniversary was in two days. I wanted to do something special for us, but every year the brunette had planned the entire day and evening for us. This time, I wanted to take over, but at this point, it would be a little late.

So, I decided to get him something special as a gift, and cancel any plans he had for the next day so we could be together. I called his workplace, a pet shop where they sold kittens, puppies, and supplies for them, but not from mills, mercifully. They were happy to give him the day off after our date night, and wished me well. After that, I decided to go shopping for a special, unique gift for my boyfriend. I ended up finding Daisuke's gift at a small local shop that sells one-of-a-kind items. Now, all I had to do was mentally prepare myself for the evening in two days time.

X*X(2 Days Later)X*X

"Good morning, Ken," Daisuke's voice breathed in my ear that morning. It was finally our three year anniversary, and I was excited yet nervous for my surprise for Daisuke later.

"Good morning, Daisuke," I smiled, rolling over to face him. He grinned before leaning in and kissing me.

"Happy Anniversary," he whispered. "Go ahead and take your time getting up. I'm gonna make us breakfast."

"All right… Thank you," I murmured, and knew he was going to make us Belgian waffles, bacon, and eggs, judging by the scent of the bacon already cooking. It was really the best breakfast he could make. Once he was out of our bedroom, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, and then called my parents. It was a tradition of mine, and they always wanted to hear from me if I felt like calling.

"Hello, Ichijouji residence," Mom greeted.

"Hi Mom," I smiled into the phone.

"Oh, hi Ken! Hold on, let me put you on speaker," she said, and then there was a beep, and I heard Dad.

"Hey Ken, how are you?"

"I'm fine, just thought I'd call while Daisuke's making breakfast," I shrugged.

"Happy Anniversary, sweetie!" Mom squealed excitedly. "Do you know what Daisuke has planned for your date today?"

"No, but I wanted to tell you what I planned for him for tonight," I replied softly, blushing.

"You're planning on giving your virginity to him, aren't you?" Dad asked, and surprisingly, his tone didn't sound mad or disappointed in the slightest.

"Yes, but how did you know?" I frowned, my ears flattening out to the sides.

"Ken, dear, we know you better than you know yourself," Mom reminded me. "Besides, I had a feeling this day would come. But we do have to tell you something before you have sex with Daisuke." I blushed darkly at her words, but gave a noise of acknowledgement.

"When you were born and the doctors told us you were a neko, they told us about nekos so we would know how to care for you and what to expect," Dad began. "One of the big things the specialist shared was that nekos are capable of bearing children. I don't mean getting a woman pregnant; I mean that you are capable of having a child with Daisuke. And it's not just you; it's all nekos, so Yamato is included in that. I don't know if this changes anything in your plans, but just make sure you use protection."

"I will, Dad," I mumbled, feeling my nerves grip me again.

"Don't worry about anything, and try not to be scared, sweetie," Mom urged. "You'll be fine, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to call us, okay?"

"I promise I'll call if I need you," I swore, and then said, "I'd better get going. I love you guys, and I'll talk to you later."

"Love you, too, Ken," they replied in unison, and then I ended the call. After I set my phone back down on the bedside table, I sat on my bed, rethinking my decision to want to have sex with Daisuke. I really did want to, but if he doesn't have any condoms, then I don't know what I'll do…

"Ken, breakfast is ready!" Daisuke called from the kitchen. Sighing, I steeled my resolve. I would have sex with my boyfriend tonight, with or without condoms. I just prayed that I wouldn't get pregnant if he didn't have any. Swiftly, I got dressed in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, black and purple ankle socks with the word Saturday on the bottom of each one since it was Saturday, a purple t-shirt with a fox face on the front, and then grabbed my grey hoodie with the black wolf face on the back and the white wolf silhouette on the front over my heart. I didn't put it on yet, instead carrying it with me to the small dining room, where Daisuke had set out our plates. There was already a Belgian waffle on each plate, and some scrambled eggs and bacon as well. The brunette had even poured us each a glass of orange juice.

"Smells delicious, Daisuke," I smiled, purring slightly when he scratched behind my ears briefly.

"Wait until you taste it," he smirked.

"I can't wait," I laughed lightly. We sat down and ate, and while we enjoyed our breakfast, I asked, "So, what do you have planned for us this time?"

"It's a surprise," he chuckled. "Actually, I do need to run after breakfast and pick something up really quick, if you wouldn't mind hanging out here? I promise I won't be long."

"Oh, uh, sure," I uttered, blinking in surprise. This was a first, but I trusted him.

"And if you want, you can hang out with Yamato and Taichi while I'm gone," he added.

"I probably will," I nodded. We finished eating soon after, and I began to clean up before my boyfriend could stop me.

"Ken, I'm supposed to clean up, remember?" he reminded me.

"Don't worry, it's fine," I assured him. "I'll clean up while you're out."

"All right, then I'll be back soon," he smiled, and kissed me softly before murmuring, "I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied, and then pushed him towards the door. "Hurry out so you'll be back sooner."

"Gotcha," he laughed. "See you soon, Ken!" And then he was gone. Thankfully, he was taking his car, a black 2009 Pontiac G5, as he'd grabbed his whole key ring, not just the key to the apartment, which meant he'd be back quickly. I finished cleaning up from breakfast, and then grabbed my apartment key and left for Yamato and Taichi's apartment after locking the door to mine and Daisuke's.

"Heya Ken," Yamato greeted when he answered the door after I'd knocked. "Come on in."

"Good morning," I smiled. "Mind if I hang out for a bit? Daisuke had to run out for a bit. He said he'll be back soon, though."

"Yeah, that's fine. Taichi's just cleaning up from our own breakfast," he told me. "Do you know what he's got planned for you today?"

"No, not yet," I answered. "Though I've got a surprise of my own for him."

"Planning on giving yourself to him?" the blonde smirked, making me blush. "Don't worry, I'm gonna do so tonight as well with Taichi."

"Really?" I blinked, surprised.

"Yeah. He has no idea, though, so don't tell him," he said.

"Deal," I agreed.

"Come on, I'm sure Taichi will be happy to see you," the fellow neko urged, and then guided me into the kitchen. "Taichi, Ken's visiting for a bit."

"Heya Ken!" the brunette grinned, drying off his hands before coming over to me. "How's it going?"

"Everything's good," I smiled. "Daisuke went out to do something really quick, and he said he'll be back soon."

"Good. Remember, we're here in case you have any problems," he reminded me.

"I know, thanks Taichi," I nodded.

"Well, come on, let's go sit down while we wait for Daisuke to get back," Taichi said, and we sat down in the living room and chatted for a while until I got a text from my boyfriend, saying he would be home in a couple minutes, so to wait for him inside of our apartment.

"Sounds like Daisuke's on his way back. I'll see you guys later. Thanks for having me," I thanked them, and Yamato showed me to the door.

"Anytime, Ken. See you tomorrow?" the blonde asked.

"Maybe. We'll see," I laughed softly. The neko laughed as well before waving as I left. I went back to my apartment, and waited patiently until Daisuke texted me again, asking me to wait in the bedroom. Curious, I did so, and then the front door opened after I'd shut the bedroom door. I could tell it was Daisuke, based off the sounds he was making, and then he began moving around outside the bedroom. I couldn't tell what he was doing, so my curiosity was piqued.

"Ken?" he called out.

"I'm in the bedroom," I answered back.

"Can you close your eyes for me? I'm coming in," he said, so I closed my eyes.

"They're closed," I told him, sitting on the bed. The bedroom door opened, and Daisuke's padded footsteps sounded as he crossed the room to the bed.

"Happy Anniversary, Ken," he murmured, and I opened my eyes to see the brunette holding a small black and silver tabby kitten with a purple ribbon tied in a bow around his neck in his hands. I gasped in surprise, and my boyfriend told me, "He's all yours."

"How—?" I started to ask, but couldn't finish because Daisuke had placed the kitten in my arms.

"I've had him reserved at work for a couple of weeks now, and he was finally ready to be adopted yesterday," he explained. "I thought he would be a perfect gift for you, and of course, I'll help with caring for him, too. He doesn't have a name yet, though."

"Night," I smiled, holding the kitten close to my chest. The little fur ball purred happily in my arms, and his eyes were closed in content.

"I like it," Daisuke nodded. "He's already litter box trained, and he likes belly rubs, too. I found this out when I was trying to load him into the cat crate earlier." I scratched under Night's chin with my index finger, and he looked up at me with his bright blue eyes, mewing happily.

"I love him," I told my boyfriend softly. "He's perfect."

"I had a feeling you'd love him," Daisuke replied, scratching Night's ears gently. The little kitten mewed happily in response, and then began to sniff the air with interest. "He must smell the kitten food. Let's get his stuff set up in the spare bedroom so he has his own space."

"Sounds good," I agreed. We then took Night and went to the extra bedroom in the apartment, which was originally going to be Daisuke's, but we decided to share our bedroom before getting furniture. The brunette dragged a big box into the room from the closet, which surprised me. He really **did** have this all planned out. I'd had no idea he was doing this. We set up the toys and a couple of scratching posts, as well as a litter box, bed, and his food and water bowls. Daisuke poured some dry food into the food bowl, and I set up a small dish with half a can of wet food. Night quickly began to eat the dry food once it was ready, but immediately switched over to the wet food when I set it down on the floor.

"Damn, he's hungry," Daisuke remarked, chuckling.

"He's still growing," I pointed out, and scratched Night's head as he ate, making him purr as he chewed.

"I kinda figured you'd want to stay home with him today, so I picked up some movies for us to watch," he told me.

"You know me all too well," I smiled, kissing him.

"I know," he smirked.

"Cocky bastard," I muttered good-naturedly.

"You know you love me," he chuckled.

"Of course, otherwise we wouldn't be here now," I pointed out. "Come on, let's go watch some movies." Daisuke laughed lightly and walked with me to the living room, where I curled up against him while we watched a couple of movies. After we had finished watching two movies, we took a break to order some lunch, which was pizza.

"Oh, I got a reservation for us at Silver Pond1 for tonight," my boyfriend told me suddenly while we ate our lunch after he'd paused the beginning of the next movie.

"You mean that?!" I yelped, staring at him.

"Yup, I managed to get one in for tonight about a month ago," he grinned.

"Thank you, Daisuke," I smiled, and leaned over and kissed him again.

"You're welcome, Ken," he chuckled when I sat back again. We watched three more movies before Daisuke said, "We'd best get a shower in before going to dinner. Our reservation is at 6:00."

"All right, do you want to shower first? Or would you rather I go first?" I asked.

"Go ahead, and I'll play with Night in the meantime," he replied, and I nodded before heading for the bedroom so I could grab some boxers and a towel. I would pick out my clothes after I was clean and dried. "Oh, and Ken?"

"Yeah?" I called back.

"You can just wear nice, casual clothes for tonight," the brunette told me, poking his head into the bedroom.

"Okay, thanks," I nodded, and he closed the door while I went into the bathroom and showered. I made sure to use Daisuke's favorite scents for shampoo and soap, which were vanilla and strawberry. I made sure to scrub the strawberry shampoo into the fur of my ears, and washed my hair thoroughly. I even used it on my tail, gently scrubbing and then rinsing it all off. Once I finished with the shampoo, I scrubbed my body down with a washcloth that was lathered up with vanilla scented body wash. Finally, I was all clean, and so I rinsed myself off and turned off the water before stepping out of the shower. I quickly dried myself off, and then snagged a bottle of cologne that Daisuke loved on me after slipping on my boxers. Stepping out of the master bathroom, I began to head to the other bathroom in the two-bedroom apartment.

"Daisuke, I'm done, go ahead and shower!" I called as I walked over to brush and blow-dry my hair.

"All right, I'm going!" he answered back, and then he quickly ran to the master bathroom to clean up. I waited until the water had started before hurriedly using the blow dryer on my hair and then brush it out. As soon as I was done, I went to our bedroom and pulled out an outfit from the closet I knew the brunette would like. When I was dressed, including tucking my tail into my pants, and had the cologne on, I quietly fished out the small wrapped gift for Daisuke I'd bought for him a couple days ago that was hidden in my sock drawer. I tucked it in the pocket of my leather jacket, and then decided to play with Night while I waited on my boyfriend to finish getting ready.

"Mew?" I heard Night mewl curiously when I went over to him.

"Hey buddy," I murmured, a small smile curving my lips at the sight of his big blue eyes watching me. I ran my hand along his head and back, laughing lightly when he began purring. Soon after, I started rolling crinkle balls across the room for him, laughing when he chased and grabbed them while biting them. I couldn't resist picking him up eventually, scratching under his chin and then moving to rub his tummy. "You're too cute for your own good, you know that?" I told the little kitten, and then set him in his bed when he yawned. "Behave while we're gone, okay? We'll be back soon."

"Talking to the kitten, huh?" Daisuke said suddenly from the doorway.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged. "Animals are people, too."

"Can't argue with that," he chuckled, and looked me over. I was wearing a pair of dark grey skinny jeans, black ankle socks, and a white t-shirt with a crouched black panther on the front with a colorful, artistic background behind the panther. I even had my black and white Converse on. Daisuke, on the other hand, had on a pair of flared, royal blue jeans, white socks, a black t-shirt with a gold dragon gazing at a moon, and his blue and gold Converse were already laced up on his feet.

"Looking good, Ken," the brunette remarked, smirking. I blushed at his words, remembering my plan for tonight, and then took his outstretched hand, allowing him to lead me out of the apartment and down to the parking garage where his car was. I made sure to grab my leather jacket on the way out, as did Daisuke, and I hid my ears, too. We climbed into his car, and then we left, making our way to Silver Pond. Daisuke parked the car in the lot outside the restaurant, and then we walked in, hand in hand. We went up to the podium where the host was, and he smiled at us kindly.

"Good evening, do you have a reservation?" he asked politely.

"Yes, it's under Motomiya," Daisuke nodded. The host scanned through the list, and then nodded, satisfied.

"Thank you, sir. Follow me, and I'll take you to your table," he told us, and then led us through the restaurant to a table by the window, where we could see Mt. Fuji perfectly. Once we were seated and the waiter had left, I gave my boyfriend a bright, but shy, smile.

"How did you manage this, Daisuke? This is practically the best spot to sit in the whole restaurant!" I asked, and he smirked.

"I can't resist that smile of yours, so I'll tell you. I have a friend at work whose boyfriend is the manager here, so he got us this table, seeing as he knows how hard I work at the pet shop," the brunette told me. "You like it?"

"No, I don't like it," I shook my head, making him appear confused. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

"You're so welcome," he chuckled, leaning over the table and kissing my lips lightly. We chatted lightly about work and school while we waited on our food, and then it eventually arrived in a timely manner. I had ordered chicken fried rice, whereas Daisuke had ordered orange chicken with a side of fried rice. We had even ordered an appetizer of teriyaki chicken to tide us over until the food got to the table. What can I say? We love our chicken.

"How is it, Ken?" my boyfriend eventually asked me when I was almost finished.

"Amazing as always," I purred happily. "What about yours?"

"Same here," he grinned.

"One problem," I sighed, setting my bowl down. "I don't think I can finish it."

"We'll take it home, then," he shrugged simply, and I smiled again, drawing a light laugh from the brunette. After we finished eating, the manager came out to meet us, and smiled when he saw us holding hands under the table.

"Hello, Daisuke and Ken," he greeted. "Did you enjoy your evening?"

"Yes, we did, thank you again for helping us out," Daisuke thanked him. "How much do I owe you for the bill, Joshua?"

"Don't worry about it," he assured us with a giggle. "Just hearing from Neku about how excited you were and seeing how happy you two are together are enough for me."

"Really? Thanks a ton, Josh!" Daisuke told the silverette gratefully.

"You're welcome, just make sure to let Neku know how everything went tonight, okay?" Joshua smirked at us with a small wink at me. It was almost as if he knew about my plans...

"I will, thanks again, Josh," the brunette said, grinning at the silverette before we got up to leave.

"No problem. See you boys next time," he smiled, and then left to the back. As we got closer to the entrance, I decided to pull out my gift for Daisuke.

"Daisuke?" I uttered from his side.

"Hm? What's up, Ken?" he asked, pausing, blinking in surprise when he saw the small but long wrapped parcel in my hands. "What's that?"

"It's your gift for our anniversary," I murmured shyly. I handed it to him, blushing lightly when I noticed Joshua watching us from his office. He came out when I noticed him, but didn't come any closer, merely watching.

"You didn't need to get me anything, Ken, you should know that," Daisuke told me softly, but carefully removed the wrapping paper anyway. His eyes widened when he opened the box, and then he immediately pulled me into a tight hug, kissing the top of my head between my ears gently.

"Do you like it?" I asked, my voice somewhat muffled against his chest.

"No, I love it," he whispered, pulling back to kiss me fully on the lips. I kissed back fully, relieved that he loved the silver necklace with a heart that had an amethyst forming half of the heart and a topaz forming the other with the words, 'You are my forever' inscribed on the back. "Thank you, Ken," my boyfriend told me, laughing lightly when he saw Joshua watching us.

"You're welcome," I smiled slightly. "I was lucky to find that. It wasn't even custom made."

"It's beautiful," he told me. After a little bit longer of standing there, him holding me close, he said, "Ready to go home?"

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling my anxiety start to form in the pit of my stomach at the thought of tonight. Daisuke was quick to fasten the necklace around his neck before leading me out to the car. The entire drive home was spent in silence, but it was one of comfort and content, not awkwardness. I held Daisuke's hand on the way home, even though he had to drive with one hand, but he didn't seem to mind. I could sense something was off with my boyfriend, but I wasn't sure what it was. As soon as the door was shut behind us to the apartment, I put my leftovers in the fridge and went to the bedroom, where I found out when he pinned me to the wall in the bedroom, kissing me hotly and heatedly. I responded back eagerly, feeling silly for not realizing earlier that this was what he wanted. This was what I had sensed was off about him. Eventually, the need for air became too great, and we broke apart, panting.

"You were planning this, weren't you?" he smirked against my ear, nipping at it lightly and drawing a small gasp from me.

"Y-yes..." I stuttered, burying my fingers into his cinnamon-tinged hair. "I-I've been m-mentally preparing myself f-for a while n-now..."

"I'm glad, because I want you like right now," he chuckled, making me shiver from the sound.

"Then take me," I whispered, moaning lowly when he sucked on my pulse point. I was pretty sure that he had left a hickey. Not that I minded, anyway. He ran his hands up and down my sides, eventually slipping them beneath my shirt and pulling my shirt off, tossing it towards the hamper. When we both heard it hit the floor, he guided me towards the bed, grinning at me wolfishly when I blinked up at him from the mattress, a bit dazed after falling back onto the bed. He tugged his shirt off, being mindful of the necklace, and then crawled onto the bed with me, kissing me passionately again. Somehow, he managed to maintain our lip-lock as he unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, taking them off of me and tossing them to the side. Now I was only wearing my boxers, and my tail was out. We parted for air again, and he was quick to slip out of his own jeans as well as his boxers. My eyes widened in shock at the size of his erect cock, and I prayed that he wouldn't break me.

"Let's take these off, shall we?" he said, and then pulled my boxers off, leaving me bare before him. I blushed deeply, feeling my shyness return at being fully exposed to Daisuke. He seemed to notice this, however, so he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly, making the shyness melt away. "You're sure you want this?"

"Yes," I breathed, gazing into his lust-darkened brown eyes. "I love you, Daisuke, and I trust you."

"I love you, too, Ken," he murmured, kissing me again. While he kissed me, I could hear him rummaging through the bedside table drawer for something and then he pulled away from the kiss, showing me a bottle of lubricant. My blush deepened, but I let him do what he needed to as he slicked up three fingers and inserted the first one into me. I gasped at the cold feeling, causing the brunette to look at me, concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, just cold," I stuttered, squirming a little. Eventually, I adjusted to the first one, and then he added the second finger, thrusting his fingers in and out before scissoring me. I gave a soft whimper when he slipped in the third finger, making my boyfriend look at me worriedly, but before I could reassure him I was fine, I felt his fingers brush against something deep inside me, drawing a moan from me.

"What was that?" I asked breathlessly, looking up at my boyfriend and soon-to-be lover.

"That, love, was your prostate," Daisuke smirked. He continued to thrust his fingers in and out of me while scissoring me until I began to rock back on the tan digits. At that point, he withdrew his fingers, causing me to whine at the empty feeling. "Don't worry, I'll be inside you soon enough," he chuckled lowly, making my face burn a deep crimson and my ears fold back with embarrassment. He slicked up his hardened member with the lube before lining up against my entrance while facing me. "You ready?" the brunette breathed in my ear.

"Yes," I whispered, so he slowly and carefully pushed into me, making me hiss involuntarily through my teeth at the pain of being penetrated by something bigger than his three fingers. Daisuke paused, concerned, but I urged him to continue with a light squeeze of his back. Once he was fully buried within me, he waited for me to adjust to him. "Move, Daisuke," I urged, and he chuckled lowly before replying.

"With pleasure," he grinned wolfishly. He began to move in a series of slow, smooth thrusts, making me moan, and then he suddenly increased his pace. Daisuke thrust deep into me with smooth rolls of his hips, kissing, sucking, and licking at the joint of my neck and collarbone at the same time. I knew I was going to have some hickeys after tonight. Suddenly, he struck my prostate, and I cried out with pleasure as my vision went white.

"HOLY SHIT!" I shrieked, digging my nails into his back. Daisuke gave a quiet hiss in pain, but didn't break pace in his thrusts. "There, Daisuke, there!"

"Fuck, you're so tight, Ken," he panted in my ear. Then he began to stroke at my weeping member in time with his thrusts, drawing a loud moan from me. With the repeated strikes to my prostate, I could feel my release upon me, so I spoke up.

"I-I'm gonna-" I stuttered, but Daisuke sealed his lips over mine in a passionate kiss.

"We'll come together," he breathed against my lips. With one last thrust, we came at the same time, and I screamed with ecstasy as my cum splashed against our stomachs. Daisuke bit down lightly on my collarbone, releasing his white hot seed deep inside of me with a grunt. He pulled out, flopping next to me before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close to him.

"That...was amazing, Ken," Daisuke told me, nuzzling the back of my neck lovingly. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Daisuke," I mumbled tiredly, turning in his loose grip to face him.

"Let's get some sleep, okay?" he murmured, kissing the top of my head between my ears. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"All right," I yawned, and curled up against him, falling asleep almost instantly.

A/N: All right! One story down with an update, 15 more to go! Gah, too many... . Anyhoo, R&amp;R, peeps!


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